A Moment to Remember - Korea

          Director:  John H. Lee

          Year:  2004

          Plot:  "A romance blossoms between a clothing designer and a cautious young man, but because the two have both been hurt in the past, it develops slowly. One is recovering from an affair with a married man. The other has lived his life alienated and alone."

          When I came across this movie, I put it aside like many others.  It sounded good, but I wasn't up for a movie just yet.  I was only looking.  Today, I was browsing again, not really meaning to watch when I accidentally clicked on the movie on Netflix (online, you know so it plays automatically).  I wasn't really interested in watching a movie with subtitles as I am working on a baby blanket that demands full attention.  The thing is, I let the movie play because I figured it meant that I must have really wanted to watch it, I just didn't know it yet.
          I really do think there was something to that accidental click after watching the movie.  This isn't one to pass up, and I can't believe I did for some time.  I don't even think there is anything bad I can really say about this movie.  It was a nice build and cute in the beginning.  Su-jin meets Cheol-su due to one of her forgetful moments.  The moment is strange in any normal sense, but it will turn out to be the most important moment for Su-jin.  A real moment to remember.
          The thing is, there relationship starts out strange than moves to sweet.  Of course, as the movie progresses, you begin to notice Su-jin isn't exactly normal.  She is very forgetful and though it is cute and leads to her meeting Cheol-su, it turns her relationship from sweet to bittersweet.  She even goes to the doctor when she starts having trouble finding her way home.  Of course I won't tell what her diagnosis is, but it is something that hurts her and those around her.
          Many of the scenes in this movie are great involving the between the couple, but the best moment is by far the best.  It is a special moment brought on by dialogue of another character in the movie.  Some people complained about the scene being ambiguous, but I didn't feel this way.  The moment for me was something that made sense and was easy to understand.  As I seen it, a husband was making a special moment to let his wife know how he felt about her.  That understanding alone does not do that moment justice.

          As I have already said, this is not a movie to pass up, even for a few days.  Even if you aren't into romance movies, this one is worth a shot because it will pull at parts in your heart and not let go until the movie is over.  There is something about the situation in this movie that is hard for anyone not to feel for.

Waiting in the Dark - Japan

          Director:  Daisuke Tengan
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  "Michiru has recently lost her eyesight.  To make matters worse, her father dies shortly afterwards.  She is now all alone and spends most of her day isolated in her home.  Akihiro is a Chinese-Japanese immigrant, that has had to deal with racism all throughout his life.  He is now tormented at work by one of his older co-workers named Toshio.  One day at a train station in front of Michiru's house, Toshio is thrown into the path of an oncoming train.  The only person seen at the train stop was Akihiro.  Akihiro frantically flees from the scene and manages to enter Michiru's house without her knowledge.  After a few days, Michiru starts to sense the presence of another person in her home."


          First off, I have to say that this movie is going in my "Want" list as I will be planning on getting it when I have the money to.  At first, this movie may have seemed a little slow as it goes through the life of Michiru before her visitor comes.  The thing is though it is still kind of interesting to see how she lives.  I really thought what her father did with the card was sweet, working on it at night and all.  The movie gets to the point when Michiru hears her doorbell and no one answers her, yet the person sneaks in.
          The story then switches to that of Akihiro.  I was quite upset with seeing the way he was treated.  It definitely wouldn't be hard to understand why he might have pushed Toshio.  It just isn't right to make the guy go through all of that.  
          His time though with Michiru is rather touching.  No words are said and she doesn't even know he is there.  Little things though clue her in.  When she almost hurts her self trying to reach something, Akihiro mistakenly announces himself without saying a word.  After this, there relationship is quite nice.  Michiru easily accepts his presence, much to the bewilderment of many reviewers.  I though could understand the reasoning.  He had been in her house for quite awhile and never did anything to her.
          I have to say that the outcome of the little mystery was something I hadn't really expected.  I loved how they kept it quite shrouded and alluded to a different outcome.  I usually love hints to the ending, but I was quite happy with the opposite in this one.  Yes, when you think back there are a few things that explain what was really going on, but with other information you really couldn't have guessed it.


          I am not sure why I decided to give this only 4 stars.  The main reason I guess would be that parts were kind of slow.  This doesn't mean I didn't love this movie.  I highly suggest this, but I probably wouldn't watch it when you want something fast paced and exciting.  n.n

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.

Postman to Heaven - Korea

          Director:  Lee Hyeong-Min
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  "Jaejoon, isn't your ordinary postman, he delivers letters to Heaven from those missing there loved one.  Ha-Na is one such person, and together they try to ease the grief of the letter senders."

          Okay before I start, I do of course have to admit that I watched this simply because I am a Jaejoong fan (which add to the fact that I wasn't happy that IMDb didn't even have him listed as the star of this movie, Han Hyo-joo either).  Anyway, the thing is though I am not sure if that had anything to do with how I rated this movie.  You see, this was a really well done movie.
          The idea of this movie was really cute.  I think it is nice that the grieving people would have a place to send there thoughts, and that somebody actually comes and takes them.  The thing is though not all of them want to send warm messages.  Some of them messages show that there is something keeping them from moving on with their life.  The really sweet part is that this is where the movie really focuses on.
           I really thought it was great how the main characters would come up with ways to ease the people's heartache.  It really is very sweet, but also leads to a bit of trouble down the road.  It is hard to see who was in the right, the one lying to make someone feel better, or the one who felt it was wrong.  This rather philosophical is handled quiet well within the movie and I quite enjoyed it.
          There are endings that you just want to see happen and then there are those that are played out in a really cheesy manner.  Thankfully this movie's ending was of the former rather than the latter.  They handled it well when it could have easily turned out to be very cheesy.  This one was rather sweet.  n.n

          This is one I would definitely suggest, and not just to Jaejoong fans.  This is one I would sure like to have in my collection (I have a list going, man I need to get my financial aid refund soon >.<).

My Sassy Girl - Korea

          Director:  Jae-young Kwak
          Year:  2001
          Plot:  "Based on a series of true stories posted by Ho-sik Kim on the Internet describing his relationship with his girlfriend.  These were later transformed into a best-selling book and the movie follows the book closely.  It describes the meeting of Kyun-woo and an unnamed girl.  Kyun-woo is shamed into assisting the girl because the other passengers mistakenly think she is his girlfriend.  Once he helps her, Kyun-woo develops a deep sense of responsibility for her which enables him to tolerate (somehow) the girls abuse."

          So this was another movie that has been sitting in my 'to watch' list for awhile and I just finally decided to watch this movie.  I am kind of glad I did.  I found this to be a rather nice movie.  It wasn't as great as many had lead me to believe it would, but it was still a rather good movie.
          I loved the comedy of this movie.  My favorite parts had to be the high heels and the squash ball.  Those two parts had me laughing the hardest.  I did find how she bullied Kyun-woo to be rather funny.  The part on the subway with the soldiers was quite good.  I mean this guy has terrible luck it seems, but it is cute that things do work themselves out.
          This movie has kind of a little twist if you weren't paying attention.  If you were paying attention, you would have seen it coming, as there was quite a few hints.  Still though when it finally came about I was actually quite happy with it.  Instead of having the feeling that well I figured that out ages ago thanks for catching up, I found it sweet.  It is interesting to see the idea of fate in this movie.
          I can't really say that there was anything wrong with this movie.  It was a little lengthy, but I wasn't really bored during the movie.  I felt that is was quite well done.  It simply just didn't live entirely up to what people had been saying about this movie.  Still, I felt that this was quite good and entertaining to watch.

          I plan on suggesting this movie, but I wouldn't advise people to go into this movie with such high expectations.  It was a great movie, but because I had been expecting nearly perfection, this movie wasn't that.  I think this movie might have gotten a higher rating from me if I hadn't heard what people had been saying about it.

Yes or No - Thailand

          Director:  Sarasawadee Wongsompetch

          Year:  2010

          Plot:  "Pie is a sweet girl who moves into a new college dorm room where she finds out that her new roommate Kim, is a tomboy who looks and dress like a boy.  As their friendship develops, Pie and Kim begin to wonder if the feeling they feel for one another is just an ordinary friendship or true love."

          I am not sure why, but I felt in the mood for a romance movie.  I searched through a bunch of movies trying to find one to watch, and stumbled upon this one.  I decided I had to watch it from the plot summary alone.  I swear, I didn't even read any comments on this one before deciding it was a must see for me.

          It seems my instincts on this one were entirely correct.  A lot of times, I have a hard time watching some Lesbian themed movies.  It isn't because I have a problem with the subject, as I am bisexual, it is actually because of how they handle the matter.  This movie though did so well with the subject matter.  This movie was more about the emotion and feeling than an actual physical relationship (it doesn't lack PDA, but uses it sparingly when it is needed and not just to sell the movie).

          I absolutely loved how this movie progressed.  The two start of on kind of a sour not due to Pie, it is quite funny in the movie.  I absolutely love her painting herself into a corner so to speak, well not painting, more taping.  Anyway, this movie really progressed the relationship between them quite well.  It is easy to see the attraction between the two, but also the hard time they are having excepting it, at least on one side of the relationship.

          The two girls have to work hard to be close in this one, what with Jane, P'Van and Pie's mother.  The thing is though that there is also those who are on their side.  I love Kim's Aunt.  She is really a caring person in this movie and only wants to help out her niece.

           I really can't say anymore about this movie except that I loved it and it made me cry more than once.  This really is a touching love story with some rather funny moments.  Yes or No is definitely on I suggest everyone not opposed to a Lesbian relationship watch.

I'm a Cyborg, but that's Okay - Korea

          Director:  Chan-wook Park
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  "A girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital, where she encounters other psychotics.  Eventually, she falls for a man who thinks he can steal people's souls."


          Okay for starters, I have to admit that I watched this one just for Rain.  I can't help some slight fan-girl tendacies that I have.  n.n
          This was definitely a good movie.  It had some very funny moments, but that is in no way the highlight of the movie.  The best part in the whole movie really was the relationship between the two patients.  I simply loved Rain's character.  He was so weird, especially that hair, but I love the sneaky ways he finds to save her.  I also have to say that the last scene really is my favorite.
          It kind of sucks that I can't be spending my money for awhile, because I really want to own this movie. There really is a lot to love about this one.  It is interesting to see the different issues the various patients have, like the really polite one, and how they interact with someone like Rain's character.  Of course our Cyborg girl  seems the most elaborate of them all.  I absolutely love the batteries she uses through the movie.  She is definitely dedicated to her belief.
          Like I said, the movie is more about the relationship of the two main characters, and it is played out well in the movie.  First, he is just somebody with that ability that she thinks she needs and slowly he becomes somebody that she can trust.  Not to mention she can rely on in her delusions.


          This movie was well worth my time.  It kept me entertained from start to finish, and I even got a little attached to the characters.  If you watch this movie, which I hope you do, you have to pay close attention to the top of the thing they take outside at the end of the movie.  It makes the scene so much sweeter.  n.n

A Little thing Called Love - Thailand

           Director:  Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong
           Year:  2010
           Plot:  "Nam is talented and funny, but with plain looks.  She falls in love with the older Shone, one of the best-looking guys in school.  Will she get her first love?"


          I have to say first off that this is one of the cutest movies I have watched.  I think it even rivals The Love of Siam, from the same country.  This one didn't have to work to hard to get me laughing in one scene and almost in tears in the next.  It really is a great movie, but I think I need to talk some details.
          The main point of this movie is a cute story about a young girls first love.  I love that it centers around first love, because that allows for so many opportunities.  I feel that they did take this movie to a good place.  It had its funny parts, but (like many Asian movies) they didn't take it to far.  The comedy really balanced out well with the rest of the story.
          Not only is the love part of the story important, but this movie also shows the importance of friendship. It was really sweet to see the four girls together all the time.  I did love the fact that they even had a little bit of a falling out.  It really does just make for a great plot.
          The changes the main character goes through are quite amazing.  She starts out as this rather, shall we say ugly girl.  As things progress, she slowly starts letting out the beauty she holds.  The thing is though did she really need to change?  That is a question that I have figured out is a no.  This is not because of some anti-barbie movement or anything, but because of something specific in the movie.  It has to do with a notebook and one little phrase "She looks the same".  Okay, I won't say anymore about it or I will gush too much.
          Now quickly about the ending.  I think this was a very cute way to end the movie.  I love the fact that people set it up to happen knowing how much it would mean.  I also love the fact that their is a moment where you are not sure about what is going to happen, a well place pause ensures that.  That one little pause makes the ending very sweet.


          The entire movie was really well done and I absolutely loved the characters progressions and their relationships.  This is one I intend to own and on that I am going to highly suggest to may friends and those who read this post.  n.n

The Restless - Korea

          Director:  Dong-oh Cho and Dong-oh Jo
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  "It is AD 924, at the end of the United Shilla Dynasty.  Evil forces are rampant and malicious demons roam the land.  A royal demon hunting squad exist known as the Chuh-yong-dae.  YI Kwak, born with the power to see spirits, excels as the most talented warrior of these demon hunters and one day drifts into Joongcheon, the world of the dead through a strange shrine."


          I found this movie to be a rather interesting watch.  The story is rather sweet as it mainly encompasses love transcending even death itself.  It is quite a romantic notion.  The fact is though that it also contains some vary interesting fight scenes.
          The fight scenes in this movie were interesting in a non-realistic sense.  Yes, there was much flying in this movie.  The flying isn't a problem for me, especially when you take the story line into account.  Nearly the entire movie takes place in a spirit world and most of the characters are in fact spirits.  To me that seems to justify most of the characters fighting styles.
          The only major problem I seen with the fighting or anything thing had to do with the female lead.  In one scene, her hips seemed to be jerked awkwardly.  The fact that the scene was slowed down just enhanced the odd pose.
           I really enjoyed the love story behind the fighting.  During the movie, you were given bits and pieces of the characters living love story.  The fact that he never gives up on his love for her is really sweet.  Even though people he cared about in the past stood in the way, he still chose to try for love.  Can't beat that.  n.n


          The story line is very well done and the characters are just as good.  I was a bit confused with the ending, but I decided not to let that drag down my rating.  With the rest of the well told love story, the ambiguous ending didn't seem to matter enough to change my rating.  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

Hear Me - Taiwan

          Director:  Fen-fen Cheng
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  “A delivery Boy falls for a young girl who is hearing impaired.  Comparing themselves with "water birds" and trees, together they are going to break the barrier and pursuit their dreams and take their relationship to the next level.”


          So, I needed a movie to watch and this one has been on my “to watch” list for awhile.  I have to say that this is another movie that is well worth its time.  There is so much that is good in this movie.
          I love the fact that most of the movie is sign language.  At first thought, it might seem kind of strange to watch a love story without any actual words.  The fact is that love doesn’t really need spoken words to still be wonderful.  It also makes for a rather unique story.  Though of course there is that little twist at the end.  Though the twist wasn’t really a twist.  Thinking back, it was quite evident in the beginning, but throughout the movie, you tend to forget about it.  At least I did.  >.<
          I also loved the relationship of the sisters.  Things were rather hard of them with pretty much being on their own and all.  My favorite line from this movie has to be, “If there is a next life, will you still be my sister?”  I just found that to be really sweet and touching.
          This is another movie where I am not sure what was wrong with it.  I guess it is hard for me to see anything bad unless it is pretty evident when it comes to a movie that I like.  I forget to watch it like I am going to write a review on it, and simply watch it for myself.  n.n


          I definitely suggest to check this movie out.  It has a very sweet story and is rather well done.  It also has some rather funny parts.  About the only people I wouldn’t suggest this to is those who hate subtitles (If you do, why are you on here?) and those who are strictly Horror or action addict (I am too, but I love Asian romance).

Love Exposure - Japan

          Director:  Shion Sono
          Year:  2008
          Plot:  “Three emotionally abused individuals from the fringes of society get locked in a convoluted love triangle.  Yuu, a Catholic boy searching for true love ends up taking "panty shot" photos of women in public.  Yoko, an anti-family, misandrist girl finds that her foster mother will be marrying Yuu's father.  Koike, co-ordinates a plan to convert Yuu's family to her cult.  Under her careful direction, their lives come crashing together in one fateful street fight.”


          I definitely had to watch this movie, as it stars one of my all time favorite Japanese musicians Takahiro Nishijima from the band AAA (Attack All Around).  Seriously, check him and the band out if you haven’t because they are great especially with Nishijima’s voice.
          Okay, back to the movie.  This was just about the longest movie I have ever watched, besides Stephen King’s Rose Red and that was meant to be a miniseries.  The thing is though, this movie was definitely worth the time spent to watch it.  Though it is just about four hours long, it is very entertaining and well paced.  The only reason it took me two days to watch this is because it was already two in the morning when I got to the 155 minute mark.  So yeah, I felt I needed to sleep before watching the last 82 minutes.
          This probably isn’t one for a prude to watch as there is much up-skirt shots and mentions of erections.  The fact is, this movie was very funny and not to be taken too seriously.  I mean a kid who runs around using martial arts moves to get up-skirt shots for his priest father (not literally, but so he can confess his sins).
          This movie was really just a bundle of jokes about different people and their issues.   The great thing though is that it did have its very serious points.  Even though it makes fun of so much and so many types of people there really is a great love story hidden within it.


          This is one of my favorite movies of all time.  This is definitely one that I would suggest to anybody with enough time for it.  For those who are rather busy, I would definitely still suggest this movie, but also that it should be watched in parts.  This movie deserves a higher acclaim than it has gotten, and I believe it isn’t well know simply for the 237 minutes it is.

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

Hua Mulan - China

          Director:  Jingle Ma, and Wei Dong
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  “The epic story of the Chinese girl-warrior, Mulan, who fights to defend her father.”


          Here is another one that I just had to watch.  When I was little, I remember watching the Disney movie about Mulan.  As an adult I found myself coming across Mulan again, but this time it was the movie made for adults.
          I have to say that this movie was one of those that got me crying.  Yeah, it seems a lot of Asian movies have been doing that to me lately.  I have no problem with this fact though.  It just seems to prove that they are in fact good movies.
          It was definitely strange to watch this movie having previously seen the Disney version.  This one though is definitely a better movie as there is more depth to the story and the characters, but of course kids would definitely enjoy the former better than this one.
          I don’t know if there was anything that I felt was done poorly in this movie.  I really did enjoy pretty much everything about it.  I did though get disappointed with the ending.  I know it is the most logical, but I would have been happier with a perfectly happy ending.  The ending just made the movie seem more realistic, and like I said, it made sense.


          I feel that this is definitely one to watch.  I actually bought this movie minutes after watching it.  I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to own this movie for myself.  Like I said, this is definitely one to watch, and I would suggest it to just about everyone.  n.n

Kindan no Koi - Japan

          Director:  Kusano Yoka
          Year:  2008
          Plot:  “Ritsu returns from New York, where he has been studying, only to find out that the boy he loves, Shou, has left school and doesn't leave the apartment he's living in with his brother and father.  There is also a secret his sweet and innocent brother, Ryou, is hiding.”

          I have to say, this is definitely a strange one for me.  To a point, I really enjoyed this movie.  The flashbacks are super cute, and the relationship between the main two characters is really sweet.
          There is one big problem with this movie.  That problem is the entire ending of the movie.  I get the whole brother thing… Yeah I can’t tell you what my main problem is.  >.<  Anyway, the other issue that I saw was the guy laying in the flowers was not supposed to be breathing, I mean it just messed with my head.  I thought, “I can’t believe that.  Wait, it isn’t true.  He’s breathing.”  When you make a movie with that kind of scene, you really should make sure the actor doesn’t breathe so obviously.

          I don’t think that this movie was a complete waste of time despite it’s major issue.  The background of the characters and the love of the main characters was very touching.  It really did keep my attention for the time, and I really did want them to be together from the get go.  This movie definitely wouldn’t be in my top movies, but it wasn’t entirely bad.  I would seriously suggest someone check out the other Boy’s Love movies that I have suggested before giving this one a shot.

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