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!

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.

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.

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

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.

  

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.

Death Trance - Japan

         Director:  Yuji Shimomura
          Year:  2005
          Plot:  “An unknown time. An unknown place. Without reasons. With no future. His only desire is… Destruction!”


          Okay, first I must say, the plot completely sucks…  Not necessarily the one in the movie but the one in the stated plot area above.  I like to take the plot from other sites, but this one turned out to be an issue.  That is seriously the plot statement I kept getting.  It is even worse when that plot really has nothing to do with the actual movie besides the fact that we really don’t know where or when this is taking place.
          I do actually mean that the plot has nothing to do with the movie.  The movie centers around a man named Grave (simply referred to as Coffin Man) who stole a coffin from a temple.  Within the coffin is something that will bring about destruction.  The stories that have gone around about the coffin say that it will grant wishes.  Desiring this, Grave and another man set off on separate missions in hope of having theirs granted.  On a mission to stop anyone from opening the coffin is a lone monk.
          That is basically what the movie is about.  It is filled with different fight scenes which I have heard a few people say had cheesy sfx and corny stunts.  I didn’t see this entirely.  Sure the sfx weren’t up to par with decent budget Hollywood movies, but that doesn’t really bother me.  I would rather see crappy sfx in an Asian movie than an American one.
           This movie was actually pretty good.  I loved Grave, as he is really an anime character come to life.  I haven’t heard any complaints about Grave’s character, but I have heard complaints about as specific goddess.  She is supposed to be of destruction, but some people complained about her pretty outfit with flowers and such.  I actually loved that point as not everything pretty is innocent, and not everything rough looking is destructive.


          Anyway, I actually enjoyed this movie.  It was pretty entertaining because of Grave’s character as well as the whole issue about the coffin.  I did have a problem with the stupid katana the monk is carrying around.  I think it needed a little redesigning on the hilt.  It really bothered me.  I did actually kind of like the ending, even though it leaves it very open, you can kind of guess that it is going to continue for quite some time.

Takumi-kun: Bibou no Detail - Japan

          Director:  Kenji Yokoi  (Takeshi Yokoi)

          Year:  2010
          Plot:  “This story takes place in Takumi and Gii's final year in high school.  Takumi is excited about seeing Gii again, but doesn't get to see him before after a few days.  When he finally gets to meet him, Gii has changed completely.  He's cold towards everyone and keeps a safe distance to Takumi.  He even started wearing glasses.  The shock of the sudden change brings back Takumi's people phobia again, and Takumi starts doubting everyone and everything again.”


          I wasn’t sure I was going to like this third installment.  The reason was that the description that was on one of my regular sites said that this movie was kind of strange and didn’t focus on their relationship at all.  Turns out there description had nothing to do with this movie.
          In this movie, there is a new crisis for our favorite couple to face.  That comes in the form of the new first years students, who are mostly the children of other powerful corporations.  It isn’t hard to see where a problem might come in with this.  All of the new students want to get close to Gii.  It would of course be problematic for Takumi in the situation as jealousy would likely arise.  Gii has a plan in place to try to protect Takumi, but it leads to much angst on Takumi’s part.
          I think that this movie was better than the previous installments.  I am not sure exactly what the reason is, but I just feel that this one was a step up.  I guess it also has to do with the fact that because of the situation, Takumi can’t really rely on Gii for support.  This leads to the fact that even without Gii, there is support for Takumi.  He has people around him who care about him and look out for him.
          I liked the fact that even though Takumi has people around him who care, he was still pretty distraught.  The reason I liked this point was because it showed how important Gii was too him even though he might be okay without him, he couldn’t stand that fact.  The ending was very intimate, and probably shouldn’t be watched where just anyone can see it.  Might have to end up having to explain about a Boy’s Love obsession to parents.  n.n


          I really did enjoy this one.  Though there was a lot of angst this movie also had its sweet moments.  Out of the parts I have watched so far, this is the part of the Takumi-kun series that I feel has been the most well done.   This one is definitely one to watch for BL lovers.  n.n

Takumi-kun: Nijiro no Garasu - Japan

          Director:  Kenji Yokoi  (Takeshi Yokoi)

          Year:  2009

          Plot:  “The second movie carries on off from the first.  Takumi and Gii are now a couple and the envy of the whole school.  However, their relationship becomes rocky when first year student Morita Tooru appears in the picture.  Hayama Takumi begins to doubt Gii’s love, and thinks that his lover has given up on him and has moved on to Morita, a freshman student.”

          I have to say that where the first movie was lacking, this one made up for.  The love between the two star character is still cute.  In this movie, the two go through a point where they are rather distant and not fully understanding the other’s view.  This is a more real life like situation.  Just about everyone has had those moments where jumping to a conclusion has led to some problems.  The good thing is that they can be worked out for the better.

          This movie also had it’s sad points as well.  Some of those points were cause by the misunderstandings, but there was one that didn’t stem from our main two stars.  That point stemmed from Suzuki-kun.  I won’t say what the circumstances are exactly, but there is some issues that he goes through.  I found it completely sad that he cared for someone who also cared for him, yet they weren’t going to be able to be together.  It was sweet that the person he liked was able to use something that he learned because of Suzuki-kun to comfort him.

          This one really was a pretty sweet movie, and it was nice to actually see the two kiss.  They seemingly kissed in the first one too, but not in view of the camera, which always seems a waste.  I also felt that it was good to see Gii show some major emotion.  In the first one, though he showed some emotions, others were completely detached.  In this one though he actually shows more emotions to Takumi.

          I wouldn’t say this is the best movie I have seen.  There are a few points that are still a little weak, but that doesn’t really take too much away from the movie itself.  This was a rather good movie, and didn’t have much of the comic book-y feel that the first one did.  Of course, we know there is no hope for this movie as far as anti-gay viewers go.  BL (Boy’s Love) lovers should definitely find this movie good enough to waste about an hour and fifteen minutes on.

Takumi-kun: Soshite Harukaze ni Sasayaite - Japan

          Director:  Kazuhiro Yokoyama
          Year:  2007
          Plot:  “Set at Shidou Gakuin, a boys' Boarding school, situated off the beaten track.  In the second year at school, Hayama Takumi is allocated a room in a dorm to share with Saki Giichi, aka Gii.  Gii was brought up abroad and is the school idol with his exceptional academic performance, as well as his good looks.  One day, Gii confesses to Takumi that he has been in love with Takumi for some time.  This unexpected truth of events unsettles Takumi, however, he comes to realize the true sensitivity of Gii.”


          So I was in a Boy’s Love mood.  Okay, so I am pretty much always up for a BL movie.  I mean who wouldn’t.  Boy’s in love are just too cute.  This movie doesn’t fail at that point either.
          I wouldn’t say that this is the best movie I have ever seen though.  Just watching this movie, it is easy to see points where it could use some work.  The love between the two boys seems to be the only point that might hold it together for most viewers.  I say this because the movie was done too much like a manga.  It is of course based off a manga, but just some of the ways they chose to portray the story were too comic book-y in my opinion.  I do have to say that as an avid manga reader, I quickly over looked these points and focused on the love story.
          I have to say Takumi is simply adorable.  Because of a past incident, Takumi cannot bare the touch of others.  This seems like it could be a discouraging point for a normal love struck teenager.  I guess Gii isn’t really normal though, as he has been in love with Takumi for some time.  It is a little sad that it takes Takumi so long to accept his own feelings, but that is actually understandable.  I did think it was pretty cute how Gii arranged a special show just for Takumi.  n.n


          Though this one might be a little comic book-y at times, it is still a good enough movie to waste a frame of time on.  Though again, this is a Boy’s Love movie, and those against homosexuals should not watch it.  We don’t need them around bad mouthing our cute boys.  n.n

Kurosagi - Japan

          Director:  Yasuharu Ishii
          Year:  2008
          Plot:  “Kurosaki, is a swindler who cheats other professional con artists to help their victims and avenge the death of his own family.  Kurosaki buys information about other swindlers from the man who cheated his family, Katsuragi Toshio.”


          I decided this movie simply because I didn’t know what else to watch.  This movie is based off the TV series and Manga of the same name.  I have never read the manga or watched the series though.  For entertainment purposes on a lazy day, I found this movie at least somewhat worthy.
          I have to say that I liked Kurosaki very much.  I was rather intrigued by the character, which got me through some of the odd parts.  I seen somewhere that someone said that Yamashita Tomohisa, lack of emotional range deterred them from the movie.  I have to argue against this point though.  It is actually a good thing that he doesn’t show too much of a range.  Kurosaki is a black swindler, who had his whole family taken from him.  That kind of past should definitely leave you emotionally scarred.  I don’t know what people were expecting the character to be like, but I actually enjoyed the way Tomohisa performed it.
  I do have to say that this movie could have been written better.  I was constantly getting lost with the whole Julius Caesar aspects.  I really just didn’t get how it fit with the movie.  I got the whole betrayal thing, but the fact that the guy kept wanting to act it out, and who was really who, I was completely lost.  I also have to say that as far as the movie goes, the girl Yoshikawa, was not good for the plot in any way.  She added absolutely nothing.  I’m sure she had a great part in the series, but in a movie, there is just no room for her.
  I saw some complaints about no great character development that was in the series or what not, and though I haven’t seen the series, I do have to say something.  This movie was a 127 minutes, and because of this I am sure the character develops a lot more in the series.  There is way more room for the development in a TV series.


          Though this movie could have been better, I think that it was entertaining the way it was.  If you are rather bored, this is a movie that will at least take up some of your time.  If the characters aren’t very interesting, some of the cons might just be.  I enjoyed how he pulled off the final con.  It was at the very least entertaining.

Nana - Japan

          Director:  Kentarô Ohtani
          Year:  2005
          Plot:  “A chance encounter between two girls of the same name, "Nana," triggers a series of events and relationships.”


          First, I have to say that I completely fell for this movie.  I mean completely.  I first started watching this movie because Matsuyama Ken’ichi was in it.  I couldn’t help it.  I needed my Ken’ichi fix and Kamui Gaiden wouldn’t load or it had completely horrible subtitles.  It is not good to deprive me of my obsessions.  Anyway, so I saw on IMDb that Ken’ichi was in Nana, so naturally I just had to watch.
          Okay so about the movie itself.  Like I said I adore this movie.  I am not sure there is anything that I had a problem with.  I was captivated from the beginning, and I mean the very beginning.
          I loved all of the characters in this one (except Shoji and Sachiko).  Nana and Hachi were definitely the best though (and rightfully so).  I enjoyed the way Nana acted.  Her character was very well done, and I loved her progression with Hachi.  At first she starts out friendly yet holding everything about herself back, but later she opens up enough to let Hachi and everyone get closer.  I also liked Hachi who didn’t think she had anywhere to belong, yet never realized that she belonged where she was, with Nana and her friends.
          I loved the love story that was going on.  Not with Hachi though, that guy was kind of a jerk, but with Nana.  She tried so hard to forget about him, but just couldn’t.  I have to say that this was the first movie where I was actually pleading the character to do something.  I am not the type to talk to the movies I watch, but I kept pleading with Ren to give back the key, or go after her.  I couldn’t help it, I got so attached to Nana, I didn’t want to see her hurt.  The same went for Hachi and Shoji, the jerk.
          I guess some of the casting was a bit weird to some people, but that is only if you have read the manga that this movie is based off of.  I did not see any problem with the casting in the movie, as all actors played their characters really well in my view.  The fact is though that I have never read the manga, and can't say how good the actors played the manga/anime versions.


          I absolutely loved this movie.  I am sure there are a few who could find faults in this movie (mostly action only fans), but it is definitely a movie I would recommend to many viewers.  This is one movie that I definitely have to have in my collection.  n.n