As Long as We Both Shall Live

Read the books! Movie does not capture enough of story

First, I really really loved the manga and the light novels!!! I was so excited to hear that a live action movie was being released. I watched the anime series on Netflix, which was well done and followed the manga closely.

Hmmm... however, this movie was okay and touched on the highlights of the story. In my opinion, it doesn't cover much of the detail in the manga, let alone the light novels. You really needed prior knowledge from the books to connect some of the scenes.

If you've read the books, then you may find this movie a bit lacking in the character and plot development, since it doesn't go too much into the back story. If you've never read the books, then you'll find this movie entertaining and emotionally moving enough to enjoy.

The casting was okay....I realize that since this was a live action movie and not a drama series, there's only so much time you have to tell the story. So you don't really get too much sense of the acting abilities of everyone. I would've loved to have seen more screen time for everyone to really shine in their roles.

Read More

From Anime to Live

I really enjoyed watching the anime series when I finally pressed play to watch it (I saved it on my playlist since it appeared on stream, but never took the time to look at it until now)… and was pleasantly delighted when I found out there was a live version of it, but as a movie instead!! I love the choice of actors for the main characters pairing of Miyo and Kiyoka, and enjoyed it just as much as the anime. Miyo’s half-sister Kaya was pretty hilarious too. Too bad she didn’t have the light colored hair like she did in the anime, it seemed to match her personality haha. Both the anime show and the live movie get ten stars across the board.

Read More

Must-watch that turned me into a romance-fantasy groupie

Hold on to your enchanted hats because "As Long as We Both Shall Live" is the ride of a lifetime, blending romance and magic in a way you didn't know you craved!

Let's talk about the movie's fancy production – it's so top-notch that even my neighbor's cat would be nodding in approval. They turned heritage sites into a Pinterest dream board, and the costumes are giving off elegance with a side of tradition – basically, a fashionista's paradise.

Ren Meguro as Kiyoka Kudo is the eye-candy you never knew you needed. Grey wig, long hair, and a navy military uniform – he's like the James Bond of fantasy romance, minus the martinis and with a heart of gold. And Mia Imada as Miyo? She's the wide-eyed charm we all wish we had, making us believe in love and magic, even if our love life is more like a sitcom.

Now, let's talk magic – Kiyoka slinging fire like he's headlining a magic show. No abracadabra here; it's embers dancing like they're at a rave. The fight scenes are like a Hogwarts duel but cranked up to eleven – sabres flashing, cloaks swirling, and magic doing its thing.

And the music? It's the DJ at a mythical rave, dropping the beat for intense fights and serenading us with slow jams for those heart-melting moments. It turns every scene into a dance party, and who can resist a dance-off with a sprinkle of magic?

But here's the twist – the showdown with the villainous family is pure soap opera drama on steroids, and I'm living for it!

"As Long as We Both Shall Live" isn't just a movie; it's a rollercoaster of emotions, doused in fairy dust, and served with an extra helping of sass. If I could give it more than 10/10, I'd toss in a unicorn and a disco ball. This film turned me into a romance-fantasy groupie, and I'm counting the days until the next chapter of this epic saga. Let the love flow, the magic sparkle, and the sass reign supreme! 🌈✨🍿

Read More

Dazzled by the filmmaking, hopefully there is a sequel to develop more the compelling lore

As Long as We Both Shall live is a historical / fantasy movie about a mistreated young woman going through an arranged marriage in a fictional Meiji Era where powerful families have inherited magical gifts. The set up and context of the story is really intriging and captivating, there are a lot of lore and the movie does a good job in exploring it. Could it have been better in terms of exposition and settings? Yes. But at the same time it does make you very curious to know more about it.

The casting did a good job overall portraying charismatic characters and despite a script sometimes feeling too rushed to really allow a lot of emotional development. The two main leads relationship evolution is beautiful but it felt a bit quick to me because of the movie format. The emotional scenes were very good, especially a couple of them involving at the same time powers and fights.

What I loved the most about this film is the very high production value. The decors and accessories seem super expensive and are truly beautiful to look at...I was dazzled by the magnificence of the numerous kimonos, so so pretty. I really enjoyed as well the visual effects during the fights: there were a myriad of details making the watch super compelling.

The main regret that I have relates to the scenario and the speed at which each of the narrative arc is developped. There are so many elements in the politics of the empire that I would have liked to be better explained and more expanded on...I hope there will be a sequel because the richness of the lore leave room for so much more stories.

I would recommend this to people looking for an historical / fantasy movie with amazing production value and captivating lore. If you enjoy beautiful kimonos, meticulous decors with a lot of details as well as romance involving fantasy elements, this one is for you.

Read More

My favorite movie the overflowing chemistry of the mainleads make me watch everyday

Saimori Miyo was the unfortunate child of a loveless, arranged marriage. After her mother died, her father brought in his lover and her own daughter, Kaya. From then on, Miyo's life was reduced to that of a mere servant. Even worse, while Kaya inherited the family's psychic abilities, Miyo had none—she was truly the daughter with no merit. After years of being treated like dirt, Miyo has learned to keep her head down, hide her pain, and obey every order. So, it comes as no surprise that she is arranged to be married to Kudo Kiyoka, a military captain rumored to be so cruel that he has driven away every one of his potential wives so far. From a painful upbringing to a painful marriage, that's the future that awaits Miyo—or so she thinks. Contrary to her expectations, her new husband is actually kind-hearted. What really awaits Miyo is a blissful, everlasting marriage full of happiness!

Read More

That's the best Japanese content I've ever watched

I honestly love this movie. I've rewatched it soooo many times I can't count it.

1. The story is straightforward with a small number of important people. By that I mean, no irrelevant people slow down the plot. The main antagonists make you understand the worth of the female lead.
2. The romance is light but so heartwarming. There are no kiss but you can feel the romance blossoming from beginning to end.
3. I usually don't like Japanese content because of the overly "Kawai" or some weird stuff that could make foreigners (by that I mean those who are not used to Japanese culture) uncomfortable. But in this movie, there weren't any, like the abuse was reduced to necessary without making it overly uncomfortable. [I don't want to offend anyone, but JP content is really special]. There's not too much overacting.
4. Did I say I've watched a thousand times?
5. The story keeps so captivated from beginning to end. Tho there are a few questions left unanswered no matter how many times I watch it.

Read More

Great watch, definitely recommend!

I LOVED this movie. The plot in itself was interesting but I never really enjoy Asian movies, atleast the ones I've watched thus far, because they never really do it for me. This one though-OMG, was just-chef's kiss. And the main leads relationship was so cute, as a die hard fan of romance no skinship in a drama is usually a deal breaker for me but here it wasn't needed. Their relationship/connection/chemistry was so pure that just watching them together was enough. I wanted to rate this a 10/10 but I ended up giving it a 9.5 because I really wish they showed us more of Miyo's power. I would have also liked to see how her family was after all that happened and not just the word of mouth they gave us, and also the main villain, what happened to that guy? This would have been perfect as a series because there's so much to unpack. Or can they just make a part 2 of this movie? Sigh. I'm just gonna go read the Manga, because how do I move on from this? Watch it, if you're into fantasy, and you won't regret it.

Read More

interesting premise undercut by misogynistic narrative

I have not interacted with any of the source material, so this is purely based on the film as its own artistic work.

This movie was cute and had some fun ideas, but ultimately felt very hollow. I wish women weren't accessories in the film, and the characters had some sort of nuance. Miyo has no discernable traits and is a clear self-insert for the audience. This movie is a poster child for the Madonna-Whore complex, where women are either virginal, naive, and moral or selfish, vapid, and evil. Miyo's entire characterization is based on things that happen to her instead of any sort of internal journey. At the beginning of the film, she has no confidence and is willing to give all of herself to the point of self-harm. At the end of the film, she is slightly more confident (not because of any intrinsic motivation, but because a man loves her) and is still willing to give all of herself to the point of self-harm.

Kiyoka says that looks and gifts don't mean anything to him, but the audience will never know if that is true because Miyo is both beautiful and gifted. I wonder what would happen if, once she healed from her abuse, she began to act more morally grey. Would he still love her if he couldn't project perfect morality onto her? I have no clue why Kiyoka loves Miyo. Not because she doesn't deserve to be loved, but because we, as the audience, know nothing about who she is or her values.

Miyo is by far the most interesting character in the film, yet her character is not explored at all. All we know about her is that her mother died, as we are reminded every five minutes with a "We Bought A Zoo" - level flashback to her perfect, beautiful mother who is entirely moral and could never do wrong. Does she seriously hold 0 resentments for her family? Does Miyo seriously not care about how her partner treats her? Their love story is cute, but seeing as she is deeply traumatized, the fact that Kiyoka keeps their dynamic so ambiguous feels almost cruel. In addition, the fact that Kiyoka is the one who is interested in her gifts instead of her felt ridiculous. Why was she not asking questions about her past? Why did she get 0 say in where she would be living? Kiyoka gets manipulated by her cousin, but also this 100% would not have happened had he just asked her what she wanted and communicated effectively. Kiyoka has 0 incentive to be toxic towards her after she has made it abundantly clear she has no power and no ulterior motives.

What's really sad is the plot of this film can not happen without the subjugation of women. I was somewhat alarmed at the lack of female soldiers and villains (other than the stepmom and sister, who are otherwise useless to the main plot). However, I realized there could never be large amounts of women fighting with men because that would mean that women were treated as equals with any sense of autonomy. Given that the catalyst for this story is Miyo being sold off to marry a stranger, it is clear that women are pressed in this universe. The narrative never says that this is wrong. In fact, Kiyoka is a hero for caring for her even though she has no autonomy in his household. He hurls abuse towards innocent women who are sent to marry him, likely with similar levels of autonomy to Miyo, but it's treated as some quirk of his. I don't think we ever find out why he is so awful to those women. Kiyoka controls how Miyo is introduced to her gifts, and even after realising something is wrong, he doesn't bother to tell her he thinks she has powers. The whole movie is filled with Kiyoka actively participating in patriarchal behaviours, and he is treated as a hero for it.

Overall, the premise is kind of interesting, but the film shoots itself in the foot for bad character writing, particularly regarding its female characters. I wish Miyo drove the plot, instead of being used as a plot device to move Kiyoka. She's literally the main character.

Read More

Good story but under-utilised premise

I will give my honest opinion here.
I went to watch this because of all the 9/10 kinda reviews and the hype of the manga.
But frankly I found this below my expectation.

The story of this movie is excellent and had lot of scope but they didn't utilise it fully.
The chemistry between the leads was undeniable but I think they shared less screen space than what they should have spent given the plot.

It started off very well for me because I love the concept where ML is a cold hearted guy who slowly falls for the FL.
Being a movie he fell very fast which is understandable but then they had very little one on one interactions in the second part of the movie and next to no scene of intimacy given the fact that both were equally attracted to each other.

Some scenes were very heart warming where he cared for her and literally burned down the house just to find her. I will give full points for such scenes.

But I feel they didn't do justice towards the end by making the plot easy and predictable.
The battle at the end could have been more interesting given the fact that she had joined too.

Anyway.. because of the hype maybe I was disappointed but otherwise it's a good movie to watch. Just that don't let others expectations get to your head.. l m sure you will enjoy this movie As Long As you keep a clean slated mind! ;)

Read More