Creepy (2016)

 

((summary taken from Rotten Tomatoes))

A retired detective is asked to investigate an old missing family case.

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Aoi Tori (Blue Bird)

((summary taken from aznv.tv))

Aoi Tori / The Blue Bird / 青い鳥

With the start of a new school term, there is no longer any sign of Noguchi, the bullied student who attempted suicide, and everything seems to have returned to normal. But stuttering substitute teacher Murauchi (Abe Hiroshi) gives a swift kick to this guise of normalcy by bringing Noguchi's desk back to the classroom, and stammering "good morning" to his empty chair everyday. His gesture becomes a pointed and painful daily reminder to both the school staff and his troubled students, especially guilt-ridden Shinichi (Hongo Kanata) who participated in the torment of Noguchi.

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Watch Online: Aznv.TV , DramaCrazy

Suicide Club/ Sucide Circle

Warning: This is NOT your typical horror film. Suicide Club is disturbing, thought-provoking, and not for the casual movie-goer or thrill-seeker: If you go into this expecting to be frightened or constantly jumping out of your seat, you're bound to be disappointed. And confused. Both of which are terrible combinations.

This review is basically an attempt to clear up some misconceptions, confusion, and general questions viewers may have experienced after watching this film. I don't claim to be an expert--FAR FROM IT--but since this is one of my favorite Japanese horror films, I wanted to at least attempt to explain what it is about this movie that I find so engaging. I really think its one of those movies that deserves (and probably needs) a second look. Without it, many people have a tendency to process what's only on the surface, and miss what the director is truly trying to say--about Japan, technology, suicide, and society in general.

So from here on out, spoilers will be unavoidable.

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Watch Online: Aznv.TV , DramaCrazy

Kids

((summary taken from azntv))
KIDS

On the outside, tough scrapyard worker Takeo (Tamaki Hiroshi) seems to have nothing in common with the innocent, almost childlike Asato (Koike Teppei), but both are lonely souls bearing dark pasts. Crossing paths by chance, Takeo, Asato, and shy diner waitress Shiho (Kuriyama Chiaki) strike up an unlikely friendship, making life in their dead-end hometown a bit more bearable. Asato was born with special powers that prove to be both his blessing and his curse: he has the ability to transfer other people's wounds to his own body.

He can't help but try to heal those around him, including Takeo and Shiho, but his powers come at a painful cost. Asato's powers tore apart his family years ago and continue to tear at him in the present. With Asato determined to hurt himself to help others, Takeo may be the only one who can save his friend.

Otsuichi's works are known for their acute depictions of pain and loneliness, and Kids again hits the heart with the story of three friends walking a long and lonely road of suffering and healing.
Cast: Teppei Koike, Hiroshi Tamaki, Yuki Saito, Shigeru Izumiya
Directed by: Tatsuya Hagishima

Lovely Complex (Movie)

I recently discovered an anime (based on a shojo manga) that I instantly fell in love with called Lovely Complex. But since the series is currently airing, and is only up to episode 11, I needed something to ease the torture while waiting for new episodes. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I learned there was a live action movie made recently!!

So, as soon as I got caught up with the anime, I watched it.

And wow. At first I thought it was terrible...they add lots of unnecessary original stuff... and rather than focusing on the relationship from both perspectives, we're given Risa's angle and little else. The main thing that kept me watching was the awesomeness of Teppei Koike who played the role of Otani: he had the character down perfectly and did an excellent job bringing the character to life!! ^_^

The girl playing Risa, however...

Err, well, she certainly looked the part, and she was very cute.

Her performance on the other hand...

To be honest, it kind of annoyed me. For one thing, the way they had her over-acting drove me crazy. I realize that's probably the way the director wanted it... especially since there were certain scenes where the other characters mimicked the same kind of gestures. But still, it was distracting, looked bad, and was really unnecessary. It was like, with every line she delivered, she'd shake like crazy, and make weird motions with her hands. And her movements were over-exaggerated and looked staged--part of the reason though, is probably because they had her wearing high heels for a majority of the film. Which, by itself, didn't make much sense to start with. I mean, she's supposed to be at least a little self-conscious about her height, especially when standing next to Otani... and yet they have her wearing high heels to make her look even taller!

I just thought that was funny. Especially since being tall and being a good actress should have been the only requirements for Risa's actress... and yet, the girl they chose, didn't have either.

Throughout the entire movie, I just couldn't picture her as Risa--not like I could picture Otani. But that's just my personal take. I've heard of a LOT of people who loved her. And to be fair, her accent is adorable.

But still... was she the ONLY semi-tall girl in Osaka with an accent, or something?!

Oh! And it was cool how they had Maity narrating... though I really wish they would have had him doing it in Japanese instead. His English really wasn't very good, and half the time, I couldn't understand what he was saying. If they really wanted to include an English speaking narrator, they should have at least chose someone who can speak it fluently. Why else include Japanese subtitles, when the language you're translating can't even be understood by native speakers?! Though I do like how they saved that "revelation" until the end. It was funny, on hindsight, that it was that crazy teacher speaking all along, lol.

I did NOT like that strange guy in the chair though--the one who kept popping up at random moments, to point out something really obvious or stupid. What was the purpose...?! Because it definitely wasn't funny.

And what was with Risa's sister?! That whole bit was annoying, disturbing, unnecessary, corny, and stupid. Instead of wasting time with made up story-lines and over-used jokes (their teacher's "wig" anyone?) they should have concentrated more on developing Risa and Otani's relationship. Or in the very least, developed Otani's side of the story a little more. We never got a good look into his head, so his revelations at the end practically came out of nowhere! I wish they had stuck more closely to the manga Maity-storyline instead. It wasn't quite as corny... and much more romantic.

Plus, the whole "height" issue which is the staple of the story, wasn't as powerful in the movie. She really wasn't that tall. In the anime, you can DEFINITELY see the difference between them in height--same goes for the manga--but in the movie, there really wasn't that much of a difference. Not enough to make such a big deal over anyway...

And (this is me, totally being nit-picky) but I really wish they would have had the kids wearing school uniforms like in the anime. Normally, I really wouldn't care, but the clothes they had the girls wearing (particularly Nobu, Risa's best friend) made them look like junior high delinquents pretending to be grown-ups--not high school students. It was so annoying! Plus, I didn't like how they tried to portray Nobu and Chiharu's relationships, into something dirty.

Prime examples: Chiharu blushing as she admits to her boyfriend that she's not wearing any panties underneath her kimono. And at the beginning of the movie, Risa's other friend, asking her bf to buy her something, and in exchange, she lets him do stuff to her body--

They sounded like lines out of really bad fanfics!

At least make it subtle!

Overall, it was a pretty average adaptation of a wonderfully, funny, cute, romantic story. They could have done so much better with the script and the casting though...

But again, Teppei Koike definitely held this movie together: in my mind he IS Otani. Of course, I'm in love with the japanese seiyuu for the anime too, so it could just be that I love his character period. Risa is one lucky imaginary girl, lol.

In the future, I have (and will) watch this again... simply because I have an unhealthy obsession with this couple, and need to see them in whichever form they happen to embody. If, however, you could care less about Lovely Complex (or most high-school oriented romantic comedies, for that matter) I'd suggest skipping this one all together. But for shoujo fans, you're sure to be entertained. Just ignore Risa's shaking, concentrate all your energy on Otani, and enjoy! ^_^

My Rating:

Strange Circus

Beautiful. Disturbing. Haunting. Disgusting.

I am at a loss—again, this director has blown me away. First, I must warn you: this film is not for everyone. The plot alone is enough to turn most people away: there is sex, incest, gore, disturbing images and more. Yet, those who manage to stay till the end will find it’s a thought-provoking, thrilling, horrifying movie. If you’re looking for some kind of film to weigh it against, Old Boy is the first thing that comes to mind.

The acting in this was, to put it simply, brilliant. This is the type of movie where the actors are forced to go through the entire spectrum when it comes to portraying a character: Iseei Ishida was amazing as Yuji. I can just imagine how nervous the writer must have been while penning this—they would’ve needed someone spectacular to bring to life such a complex character—same goes for Masumi Miyazaki. Somehow every actor in this film pulled it off. I wonder if any of them won any awards for this, or if it was too shocking to garner that kind of attention. How the girl playing young Mitsuko pulled it off… I’ll never know. I hope it didn’t scar her! I’d never let my kid play that kind of role, no matter who the director was!

The story was beyond grotesque, and has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end. It’s a hodgepodge of genres, and I’m having trouble narrowing it down when it fits into so many: mystery, thriller, horror, psychological, with some eroticism thrown in. And for those who like a good revenge-film, look no further. You can’t get any better than this, lol.

One other thing though: the concept of reality in this movie is extremely blurred. It's hard to distinguish what's real and what's not… and to be honest, I don’t think we’re supposed to know. I think that's one of the uses for the circus--the show the internal minds of the characters, through a warped and twisted glass. The use of the circus really was genius; as was the use of guillotines.

When you get down to it, most people would consider this movie sick and twisted. Brilliant, yes… but it’s also hard to watch. I don’t think I could bring myself to watch it again. It’s hard to deny though, that this is a work of art.

Also, I’m starting to suspect that Sono Sion is incapable of making a bad movie. But now, I need me some romantic fluff. Looks like I’ll be leaning towards a nice Korean romantic comedy next. I’ve earned a break from the nasty, disturbing, thought-provoking films. I need something that will allow my mind and stomach to rest. ;)

My Rating:

Noriko's Dinner Table

Club Suicide is one of my favorite movies, so when I heard there was a sequel/prequel, I knew I had to see it!

Without trying to compare it too much to it's predecessor, I should first point out that it's not really necessary to see the first movie in order to understand this one. The major event that serves as the catalyst the first time around, is still present in this one...

First off, the story may seem pretty straight-forward on the surface, but it quickly becomes apparent that there's a lot more going on underneath. It's not just a story about a country girl who yearns for change, and longs to move to Tokyo--it's about family, isolation, lack of communication, and the growing generation gap between the Japanese youth and the adults.

In fact, there's actually a lot more going on than just that... but those were the first things that came to mind. So please, if you do watch this, be aware that this is the type of movie that requires a little bit of thought and effort. Of course, that's one of the reasons I've become such a fan of these films in the first place. ^_^

The directing, as always, is superb. The way he sets up these shots are brilliant, and part of the reason I'm always drawn to his movies. I'm definitely going to hunt down some more films he's written or directed in the near future. And of course, the casting was top-notch. Everyone fit into their roles wonderfully, and I was never once pulled out of the movie, or distracted by over-acting.

The movie's strongest point for me though, will always be its story. I love something that looks straightforward on the surface, but is actually a lot deeper than originally supposed. It's impossible to walk away from this movie without questioning most of what you've watched. Don't expect a film that hands the audience everything they need to know in order to understand what's going on... it's up to the individual and what they choose to take away from it. For me, the ending did not disappoint.

My only real criticism is that the story dragged a lot in the middle... but still, I couldn't help but feel that everything that happens, happens for a reason, and that every one of those scenes was necessary for the story.

I can't, however, say I liked it as much as Suicide Club: I think I prefer it when the range is broader, and not focused so entirely on one family in particular.

Here is my own personal take on the ending, in case anyone is curious/confused. Please keep in mind though that this is pure conjecture on my part... which means, most of it is probably wrong, lol. But hey, guessing is half the fun!
SPOILERS

The way I see it, the end was Noriko finally "connecting with herself"; moving on from all the roles she's constantly been playing. When she says goodbye to her adolescence, it's not like she's saying "Look! I've grown up, I'm an adult now." In essence, she's saying goodbye to all the loose terminology that goes along WITH it--knowing that it no longer holds any REAL meaning. Once you're connected, you find yourself, you become your own person--transcendence. Finding happiness by looking within; not depending on others for that happiness.

From what I understand, Ueno54/Kumiko has alreadyreached this point. She 'connected with herself' long ago, and is simply trying to help others reach that same point. Her smile at the end, I believe, is because she realizes that both Tetsuzo and Noriko have finally reached that point: Tetsuzo has put aside his selfishness, and has finally become a true father. Even though it took two years of searching, he finally got his new beginning. When he wakes up, I truly believe he'll be able to smile and accept Yuka's decision to leave--perhaps even understand it, which he was never able to do before.Noriko... I believe Kumiko already realized how close she was. Once she saw her honestly expressing herself to her father (something she could never do back in their hometown) she knew that she would be alright, and not get caught up in the old role she used to play. In essence, she watched her "student" graduate. Yuka, however, still has yet to make that connection. I think the fact that she leaves is because she understands she still has some searching to do. She realizes her happiness is too tightly ingrained in her family and her past--she is looking for happiness through them--when she should be looking for it within herself. In short: she has finally put Yuka to rest, and is ready to be reborn.

END OF SPOILERS

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this movie and wasn't disappointed at all. For anyone who is looking for a movie to watch that makes you think, then Noriko's Dinner Table definitely won't disappoint!

My Rating:

Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru (Heavenly Forest)

I love how I ended up watching this movie, because I misread the synopsis and thought it was going to be a cute, sweet, romantic, feel-good film... and it was... if you don't count the bits of lovely angst that were thrown in. But still, it was an excellent movie. Great acting, great story, great characters... great everything. I loved it. ;)

One of my favorite things about this movie, was watching the relationship between Makoto and Shizuru grow and change. And I just have to say, I love the way they first meet. The cross-walk scene really did an excellent job of establishing their personalities right away, while showing just how different they are from one another. Of course, the more we watch them interact, the more we realize that they really aren't that different after all... each has something to offer the other, something they have trouble finding elsewhere.

And I love how Makoto isn't your typical male lead. He's shy and self-conscious, and just really a very sweet guy. And I can't believe how well Miyazaki Aoi was able to transform herself into Shizuru! From the beginning of the movie, to the end, it's really hard to tell that they're the same person--and I adore the fact that she was being honest, and was actually able to carry though with her threat: "You'll regret it." Wow. She wasn't kidding! Poor Makoto...

You can't help but feel for every single one of these characters.

And without giving anything away with the ending: I thought it was beautiful. The twist was a little cliche and has been done to death... but the way they did it was very powerful. And once it's happened, I was hitting myself over the head for not guessing it sooner. They definitely hinted at it enough times throughout the movie... but like I said, I misread the synopsis, and assumed it was going to be a different kind of romance.

But still, you can't deny that the ending is very beautiful just the way it is. I doubt it would have had this much of an impact if it had ended differently. And I love that last little touch with the bird landing on his mailbox. Ahh, great film!

Oh! I also liked the fact that the "other" woman, I think her name was Miyuki, was actually a very likeable character. As was the rest of the group who were nice enough to befriend him--the only way I would have liked them more is if they'd invited Shizuru to join! That scene overall though, was very cute: when they invited him to sit and eat lunch at their table, and he's really nervous, and shy... it's amazing how different he seems when he gains a group of friends, and becomes a little less reclusive and loner(ish). But still, the person he feels most relaxed and comfortable around is Shizuru. ^_^

Plus, I loved the actor who played Makoto, since he also played the main character in the awesome (I gave it 5-stars) drama, Nodame Cantabile. The character he portrayed here is such a drastic change from Chiaki, it took me a while to recognize him!

Overall, another fantastic film. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, was because the pace was a little slow at times, and because part of the twist was due to a very cliche plot element that seems to be VERY popular in Japanese entertainment. But still, I loved the way they handled it here a lot more than in most dramas, or movies with similar themes. And yes, I cried. But then again, I ALWAYS cry...

My Rating:

Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World

I wonder if I'm a horrible person. I wasn't nearly as moved by this movie as I should have been... and I was ready to cry, I was ready to watch something hopelessly depressing, and get lost in its overwhelming sadness. But for some reason, with this movie, I just couldn't get into it.

Honestly, I'm not sure why.

The story itself was sad and touching, and it painted a beautiful picture of first love... yet, in the end, I wasn't affected by it. And I'm a HUGE wimp when it comes to these type of movies, so I'm kind of at a loss as to why this one affected me as little as it did...

The characters were well-rounded, believable people, who you could easily sympathize with. And it was heartbreaking seeing Saku struggling to come to grips with Aki's death, even after 15 years have passed.

I think my main problem with this story is that I've seen it all before. I've seen plots very similar to this one in movies and in dramas, so it was a lot harder for me to get into since it seemed like I was watching something I'd already seen before.

I guess I've become sensitized to these types of movies. I really can't figure out why else this movie didn't get through to me...

But it was good. I don't want to belittle its story, or the acting, or directing. It was put together wonderfully, and I just love how he transitioned between the present and the past through use of the cassette tape.

I must admit though, that I thought their sudden (obsession? fascination?) with Australia was a little silly. I mean, they see one random photograph from some old camera, and suddenly they deem it the center of their world? I mean, I guess I can understand why Aki is so fascinated by it... but still, it just sort of came out of nowhere. In the end, I really couldn't understand why that place--out of all the places in the world--became so important to them.

And then, their obsession with actually going there had me distancing myself somewhat from the movie. For some stupid reason, all I could think of was, "how can they afford that? Aren't they in high school? They couldn't even afford a new Walkman, but they suddenly have enough cash for a trip to Australia?" And of course, from there, I started wondering what the whole point of taking a trip like that so late into the movie would accomplish anyway. Is traveling to Australia a form of escape? Is it a way to force them on a physical-type-journey, so that they're not completely entrapped within the emotional and psychological?

I admit, it was a good way to end the film, but it seems like the same could have been accomplished somewhere in Japan. Why go all the way to Australia?

Err, maybe it's just me... so don't take my opinion on this movie too seriously. ^_^

My Rating:

Hellevator: The Bottled Fools

 ((summary taken from dramawiki))
One elevator, one girl who can read minds and one floor where the elevator should have never stopped: the ideal ingredients for a classic piece of weird horror. In the claustrophobic space of the elevator, a bunch of screwed up psychos who board halfway through produce absolute madness and mayhem on every square inch.

Ikinai (Suicide Tour Bus)

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))


The sign says "The Sunshine Club Okinawa New Years Tour." Yet everybody sitting on the bus seems strangely somber. Everybody is accounted for and the bus is about to leave when a young woman joins the group. Her uncle has been committed to an asylum and she will use his ticket. Reluctantly the tour manager lets her join the tour. Eventually we find out that the passengers and tour manager all have a suicide pact to send the bus over a cliff so the families can collect on insurance.