timotey

This was a really sweet addition to the Sentai pile. But it also had an odd feel to it. On the one hand, it was quite silly - but whenever it focused on the Emperor of Darkness and Right it became something else entirely because the Emperor’s obsession with Right was very… not kid friendly, to be honest.

And it’s what I loved best, the connection between Right and the Emperor, the way they were constantly drawn to each other, the way the Emperor could never bring himself to truly destroy Right, even in moments when he defeated Right, and the way that connection was slowly but surely destroying Right from the inside out, changing him; TOQ1’s switch from Red to Black was a stunning twist, holy smokes!

It also lent itself to a huge amount of whump for Right. The last five or so episodes were pretty much Right whump pure which was very much up my alley. Even in the last fight, Right vs. the Emperor, in which the Emperor was finally defeated; when Right fainted after shouldering all of their powers and the Emperor turned into a cloud of darkness, the way they all threw themselves on Right to protect him, knowing that he couldn’t withstand another dose of it… Gosh! The ToQgers’ love for each other was just… mwah!

Also! It stars Shison Jun as Right and Yokohama Ryusei as Hikari which is yet another reason to watch it!

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I watched this movie solely for Shison Jun. And I didn't realize that Kojima Riria - who starred with him in ToQger - was in it, too! And that she played the object of his unrequited affection. Ha!

I must say that I didn't like the main heroine, Rika, all that much. She simply rubbed me the wrong way with her behavior, her borderline obsession with Mino. I did like her character progress throughout the movie, though. I mean, she was - what? - 15 at the beginning of the story so you really have to account for that. And it took her a while to accept that you can't force anyone to love you. They either do or they don't. So when she then secretly sent Mino the charm to wish him good luck at his exams, I honestly teared up.

And Mino. He was in the very same position with Aoi. He loved Aoi but she didn't love him back. But she liked going back to him to and back in his affection to, I don't know, re-affirm her self-worth, I guess, because her boyfriend was a big jerk. So whenever it looked like Mino might actually move on, Aoi popped up again and he started thinking again he might have a chance. But I don't think she even realized she was doing, that she was using him...

It's an odd movie. Nothing much happens, the seasons just flow in it and life happens along the way. I've seen it compared to Strobe Edge but, to be honest, I liked Strobe Edge much better. The proverbial saving grace here was Shison Jun and his character's relationship with his best friend, what little we've seen of it.

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I'm not sure I can even properly explain why I love this movie so much. I guess it's the whole atmosphere? The way it's shot? All the main characters? The story itself? Basically everything, I guess?

I love that there are so many good people in this movie. Ninako confesses her love to Ren but Ren already has a long-time girlfriend so he rejects her, very kindly, and Ninako accepts it and asks to stay his friend and even defends him. Ren does all he can to emotionally support his girlfriend, a slightly older girl with family issues, to the point where he works himself to exhaustion. And Ando... Ando loves to pretend being callous and uncaring but, boy, does he care!

I find the relationship between Ren and his girlfriend, Mayuka, so interesting. Because, yes, she's slightly older, already working and driving a car but she needs Ren to be her rock. And he is, he so is. Because he promised her. He promised and he would never, ever break his promise, no matter his own feelings or needs. But... he is still a teen and it's simply too much for him, school and a part-time job and going to her house every day. And I love that it is her who realizes it, what Ren is doing...

And Ando and Ren! I wish their relationship was explored deeper because when Ren talks about Ando, about what their relationship was like back in middle school before everything went pear-shaped between them... He sounds so wistful. Like, "Before, I had always been alone. I only talk to people who want to talk to me - and Ando wanted to talk to me. He didn't say anything special but it made me so happy... And he was so lonely."

And when Ando then finds out that he broke off his friendship with Ren for nothing, that Ren was innocent of the thing Ando accused him of - Ando's reaction!

It's such a sweet and serene movie. And I felt for them. And Fukushi Sota (Ren), Yamada Yuki (Ando) and Arimura Kasumi (Ninako) are so good in their parts. Honestly, I've never realized before how many projects Fukushi Sota and Yamada Yuki have done together so far! I hope we will see them together in something again at some point in the future!

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I haven't cried this hard since... The Travelling Cat Chronicles with Fukushi Sota. Or maybe Fortuna's Eye with Kamiki Ryunosuke. And just like in the latter, it hits painfully hard when the POV is switched from "his" to "hers" and you see the story enfolding backwards...

I think it's better to watch this movie completely unspoiled, without knowing what's going on. Because that way, it's all the more painful - and all the more beautiful, Takatoshi & Emi's love story.

And what a love story this is! Fukushi Sota & Komatsu Nana make a beautiful couple in this movie, their chemistry is simply awesome. If nothing else then that makes it worth watching.

Truly, when I finished it, I immediately went back and re-watched some of the highlights, now knowing what's going on. And, wow, it was truly all there, the hints. And when you know and you go back and you watch it... it breaks your heart into itty bitty pieces!

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This Fukushi Sota movie is labeled a bromance but let me tell you, the B in this bromance is very, very, VERY silent. Probably the most silent B in the existence of bromance.

It's a truly beautiful but also a very difficult movie to watch. It deals with themes like power harassment, suicide and depression. Takashi's (Kudo Asuka) road to peace and healing is long and ugly, luckily he has Yamamoto (Fukushi Sota) by his side every time he needs a shoulder to lean on. And it's just so wonderful!

Most of the movie is told from Takashi's POV, it's not until the end that Takashi delves into Yamamoto's life and the terrible tragedy that Yamamoto had to live with is revealed. The scene where Takashi goes digging into Yamamoto's life and finds out the truth is so, so beautiful because we finally get to see Yamamoto's POV, at least a little.

And the ending is just... fairy tale like. It's the happiest of endings, it truly is.

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Oh, this was wonderful - and Fukushi Sota was so pretty in this! Sweet characters with a heart of gold suit him so well! I really, truly loved this drama. Who knew that grim reapers in pink bunny suits could be so hilarious!

The best part of this drama - at least for me - were definitely the relationships - and not just between Tsutsumi and Aguma, the leads. Tsutsumi's family was also hilarious and incredibly loving and lovable. And then there was Chisato, Tsutsumi's high school sweetheart...

I still think that Tsutsumi was autistic. His inability to understand how relationships and emotions in general worked. His tunel vision and his mile-a-minute talks on subjects that caught his interest, like rockets. It's not said out loud in the drama but... yeah.

This drama had some really hilarious moments but also some very touching that made me tear up. It had the perfect balance, IMHO. It's definitely a drama for blue moods, when you need a quick pick-up!

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This is the story of two young people who - after a special brain surgery - gain the ability to, basically, predict the future. But actually, this is the story of a brutal murder of a family and of the revenge the sole survivor takes. But really, it's the story of a special friendship between two lab rats and the lengths the one goes to save the other.

There's no romance in this movie. Madoka and Kento could, possibly, one day become more if given the chance but at the time of the film, they're just friends. And while Kento is determined to avenge his late family and die together with the murderer, Madoka is just as determined to stop him and save his life.

I can't believe I felt sorry for the director, Kento's father, at first. As the story progressed and we saw what really happened from Kento's POV, what he had heard, lying comatose, what was done to him... yikes.

Also, I want to believe that Madoka and Kento found each other again at some point. I think there were enough hints dropped - she came to say goodbye to the professor (why? he knows her father, he knows the lab), when the professor started talking about why Kento disappeared, she cut him off, she was out of the lab again etc. And after everything she had done to find Kento, I don't think she would just let him disappear like that, especially in his state of mind...

Also #2, the movie's score is absolutely incredible!

Overall, a really good sci-fi movie with some interesting twists!

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This movie - and manga - deals with heavy subjects, in particular with depression and suicide, both done and attempted, so beware!

I've been reading the manga - currently, I'm up to the end of vol. 4 - so I was curious how the movie compared to that. And I must say that Yamazaki Kento was amazing as Kakeru!

What I loved most about the story was the theme of friendship above everything. It didn't really matter who ended up with whom - if Naho ended up with Kakeru or Suwa or with neither of them - what really mattered was the friendship among all the six characters. Because it was not romance what kept Kakeru alive in the end, it was friendship.

To me, it was really interesting how the five friends, warned by their future selves of what would happen to Kakeru, decided to save him. Because it's quite easy to stop someone from getting hit with a brick or enter a plane that's about to crash. But how do you save someone from himself? How do you convince someone not to kill himself?

I loved the way they went about it, showing Kakeru again and again that they were there for him, that they loved him, that whatever burden weighed down on him, they would help him carry it. It truly warmed my heart, all of their love for Kakeru - and his love for them which swayed his decision in the end. It was so beautiful...

Overall, a really good, heart-warming movie. Highly recommended!

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This is a movie about 3 BFFs since childhood: Shuta, Michiru & Saku. Saku dies of an heart attack in high school and since then, Shuta and Michiru's ways part, they never see each other again, both feeling guilty about what happened. But then, one day, Shuta finds a way to travel back in time and change the past. But it comes at a cost.

At first, I didn't think I would cry as much as I did because the first 2/3 or so of the movie are actually quite funny. I started feeling a little wobbly when Kyoko, the time traveler stuck outside of time for over 60 years, told Shuta about the consequences of changing the past - the loss of all memories. Everything gets rewritten. Everyone forgets the time traveler and he/she forgets them. And Shuta still decides to save Saku because he wants Saku to live, even at the cost of becoming a stranger to both him and Michiru...

And then, the scene at the train station. When Shuta saves Saku and they manage to catch Michiru before leaving and Shuta thinks that Michiru loves Saku and that Saku loves Michiru and so he's okay with them forgetting him because they will have each other, so it's okay, everything is okay...

But then, in the very last moments before everything gets rewritten, Shuta finds out that Michiru was never in love with Saku, she was in love with him, with Shuta, and Saku knew that. Shuta's realization... When he started crying - his friends' shock because they didn't get why! - when he managed to ask Michiru to smile at him if they ever meet again, even if she didn't remember him, when he told Saku he was entrusting Michiru to him - and in the next moment, they forgot all about him... Yeah, that's when I started bawling like a little kid.

Also, Kyoko's tears. Her, "I will remember you..."

And then the last scene on the beach, when Michiru and Saku met Shuta there, strangers to each other... The way they looked, like an old married couple, sweet but, well, boring, to be honest. It showed how different their life was without Shuta in it. But Shuta felt also a little different, so... peaceful. I think that if he remembered what he had done, he would still find it worth it.

Gosh, this movie. My head's aching from all the crying I did.

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This is a live action Jmovie based on a manga. I haven't read the source material so I can't say how faithful of an adaptation this is but I really liked it. The special effects were incredible, the sound mixing honestly outta this world, the music was fantastic... and the themes right up my alley: friendship, brotherhood and family.

It's a story of three brothers who live together in an ancient temple in a village in the country. And, well, there's also this scary supernatural being that might destroy the world if not sealed. But it's mainly about these three brothers. And they love each other dearly. Yeah, the two younger ones are mightily frustrated with their big brother because Tenka is always fooling around and he can't take anything seriously - and he's also a super awesome martial arts master, unbeatable and determined to always protect everyone, sure, there's that.

I loved Fukushi Sota as Tenka. I wish the story delved deeper into his relationship with the other five family descendants, his best friends from way back when, before Tenka left them to take care of his little brothers after their parents were murdered. Alas. It feels like there's a whole another story there, left untold. Too bad...

Overall, a great movie with no romance and all the brotherly love one could wish for.

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Oh, this was cute! So soft and cozy like pastel colored cotton. I felt like wrapping myself in this drama and just... relaxing.

It's a very short series - 8 episodes 10 or so minutes each - and so it didn't even try going big or broad or tackling any issues. It told a very simple story and because of that, it was really good.

It gave Eun Kyu, Hae Won and Ji Soo just enough background for the characters not to feel flat. In a few words and scenes it explained the depth of friendship between Eun Kyu & Ji Soo, the love they had for each other - and why the fact that they both started to have feelings for Hae Won created a problem between them - in the end, it wasn't about Hae Won at all.

And Hae Won. For the youngest and cutest character, he sure had a spine and he knew what he wanted - Eun Kyu. And he didn't let Eun Kyu discourage him. Softly, gently he stayed by Eun Kyu's side. That was all. Despite only just starting college, he seemed much more... emotionally mature than Eun Kyu. I guess it had much to do with the fact that he obviously had a loving family whereas Eun Kyu had none and not even the love of Ji Soo's family could really make up for that.

I honestly liked it a lot. There was so much good stuff there. Like when drunk Eun Kyu crawled into Hae Won's bed. Or when Hae Won treated Eun Kyu's burned arm. So sweet and soft.

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This is an 8 episode drama and each ep is barely 20 minutes long, so don't expect a masterpiece. But it was actually a good one, IMHO. I appreciated what they tried to do with the little time and money they had.

I liked that it showed mental issues that weren't pretty in their portrayal and that didn't miraculously go away once the characters got together. I liked that, yes, Nawee decided to finally actually do something about his agoraphobia, abandonment issues etc. and so on with Aiaoon's help - but just because he decided so, it didn't mean that he was cured. He just took the first step.

I was also glad that he finally cut ties with his horrible, terrible, no good, very bad family who didn't appreciate him or help him in any way. When he finally got angry and told his brother off? I cheered!

I was also glad that Aiaoon simply told Chanjao the truth, that he wasn't just not ready to marry yet - he didn't love her anymore. After so many years that she spent studying abroad - years during which they apparently barely saw each other, barely even stayed in contact with each other - no wonder. And I was glad he didn't let himself be dragged along into a marriage. And another thing that I liked? That Chanjao didn't turn into some vengeful harpy but she stayed his friend, even though it hurt.

This drama is chock-full of whump, both physical - Nawee keeps fainting more often than your average Victorian romance heroine - and the care that Aiaoon shows to Nawee is just *chef's kiss*

Overall? Not really a masterpiece but a sweet little drama full of tropes and clichés and pretty people with great chemistry.

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S2 was shorter than S1, the eps were only 25 mins or so long, so there were only a few cases to solve, but the addition of Terauchi Hajime, the... well, antagonist, made it more intriguing, though his story and his deeds, his motives turned out to be different than I originally thought.

The relationship between Akira and Fukamachi was deeper and closer, more meaningful and touching and sweet in S2, it progressed a lot since S1 and they became such good friends, it was quite sweet to watch. And Fukamachi smiled so much more here! Though I wish the story utilized both of their special powers more. Oh well...

Overall, a great follow-up to S1, though it did not give us all the answers regarding Akira and what happened to him, if he had really encountered a demon as a kid or not. I wish there were S3 but that seems highly unlikely. Too bad...

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At first, I wasn't too sure if I would like the drama, it took an ep or two to get going for me, but once it started peeling back the characters' layers, it got really interesting. Especially once we got into Si Won's background, as revealed by that spiteful older student.

What I really loved about this little drama was that both the main characters made mistakes - either they were knee-jerk reactions (Si Won) or good intentions going all bad and awry (Da Woon) - but they always owned up to them and apologized. Maybe not right away and maybe they had to stew about them for a while but they always did. Communication, what a marvelous thing!

Also, for two newbie actors, they were really good and I hope we will get to see them in more dramas soon. Especially Jo Hyuk Joon got to me with his deep, smooth voice. What a voice that was!

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This drama had some really funny moments. And some really cute ones. And Yamada Yuki was just great as Detective Yamada. And all the relationships among the cops, among the various partner pairs, were also great and sweet and touching.

But the drama lacked any kind of suspense. For a cop drama - even a comedy - it was plain boring, to be honest. It felt like it was written by a teenage girl, the cases and the cop stuff. The cops seemed more like regular small town clerks than actual policemen/women. I don't like or need gung-ho gunslingers but these cops were just lame. The only actually good one was the Police Box Chief, the resident slacker, which is kinda telling.

Overall, it wasn't exactly bad. But it wasn't all that great either. It had its moments but it definitely didn't glue me to the screen.

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