Khun Chai Taratorn is the first part of the very popular Suparburoot Jutathep series. It’s somewhat an exclusive Thai way of making dramas where three, four or five plots are connected by a main thread. In this series’ case, it’s the story of the five noble brothers, set in the after-war times in Thailand.
The first part of the story started in a promising way, it gets extra credit because it introduced us the main characters, their relationships and the general atmosphere. The premise of the plot seemed interesting; antiques robbery, cross-dressing and so on. However, the writing didn’t manage to keep things captivating. I think that’s the main issue with most Thai lakorns, they usually have interesting topics and characters but they tend to mess things up in the middle and near the end.
I found too much Indecisiveness to tolerate. Many main characters kept avoiding the obvious for the longest time that’s why the lakorn could turn out to be a little boring. Of course, the bromance moments between the brothers surely kept my interest, the way they eavesdrop on each other or plot against each other just for fun was priceless. I believe that’s the main strength of this series.
This may have been the non-interesting brother as some may call it but I surely liked Chai Yai’s character, apart from his indecisiveness of course. He was calm, caring and well-worthy of the eldest brother’s title. The acting was, not bad is all I can say. As many of you would know, Thailand doesn’t contain the greatest actors out there but they can be good enough. Grate did well with the character, at least more convincing than Preem’s acting. You see, beside Grate and Pope (playing the first and the second brother) who are well-known actors from Channel 3, Jame, Bomb and James (playing the other brothers) are newbie actors who made their breakthrough with this series so they deserve encouragement.
The female department was nice; I especially liked the two grannies. The triangle was also good, at least there’s no evil second female lead that you would gladly throw in hell. She had your average next-door neighbour girl feel into her despite being in the noble class. She was also a great friend of the female lead (something you would rarely see in lakorns or in Asian dramas in general). It’s her two sisters that I am worried about when Chai Pat and Chai Pee’s stories come; they will be the obnoxious type for sure. The second male lead in this part was also very nice and no, he wasn’t friend-zoned since he never grew a crush on the female lead in the first place.
Watch if:
-You like Thai lakorns.
-You dislike slap/kiss lakorns and prefer the other genres.
-You like good chemistry.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for something great.
-You’re not familiar with Thai lakorns; I wouldn’t recommend this as your starting point.
-You’re very impatient for developments to happen.
Khun Chai Taratron love story wasn’t that great to be honest, but as usual the chemistry in Thai lakorns is something you’d gladly watch. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, hoping that the other brothers’ stories will be more interesting than this.
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Kiyosu Kaigi depicts the power struggle after the death of Oda Nobunaga - the first feudal lord that attempted to unite Japan. Upon his sudden death, two of his most powerful retainers Shibata Katsuie and Saru Hideyoshi started a cold yet an exciting war by siding with one of Nobunaga’s legitimate successors. Until this far, the film may seem like another political clashing plot about the Sengoku period. At the matter of fact, it’s absolutely is! Kiyosu Kaigi is all about the power struggle to reach the top of Japan with each character having its own agenda and secret motives to proceed with. However, that’s not what this film is all about.
In the midst of such a complicated plot within the most serious time of Japanese history; this film takes the comedy turn. Yes, you didn’t read that wrong; this film was overwhelming with hilarious sense of humour to make it lighter and even more enjoyable. You get to see prestigious daimyo lords fighting and wrestling like little children. You also get to witness a candidate successor act like an adorable dork. All of that was mixed with many funny dialogues and “hugs” between famous lords. A history lover as myself never imagined to see those amazing generals acting so silly. But all of that use of humour didn’t drift the film from its original purpose.
The director was able to portray the message he made this film for. Amongst all of those laughing and political struggles, the film managed to deliver an interesting take about Japan in those ancient times. It was quite fascinating to watch the flowing of each event, each character and each hint until it reaches a very stimulating ending. The comic relief and the partial use of parodies was only a way to prevent this film from becoming heavy. It also participates in keeping the somewhat long ride (almost two hours and a half) amusing.
Now the acting; Kiyosu Kaigi is star studded, starting with the veteran and the acknowledged Yakusho Koji; you’re bound to expect a wonderful acting level. Then comes Oizumi Yo with a marvellous performance as Saru (The Monkey). His character was really monkey-like at many turns but his inner philosophy and beliefs still managed to shine in times of need. As if Yakusho and Oizumi weren’t enough to keep this film standing tall; they were supported by other enormous acting talents. All you have to do is entertain your eyes with stunning acting performances from the penetrating Asano, the veteran existence of Kohinata Fumiyo, Sato Koichi, Terajima Susumu and Denden with the young talents of Tsumabuki, Matsuyama and Iseya until you reach the very intriguing female department mainly composed of Nakatani and Suzuki.
The characters were complicated, each of them possessed its own perspective and they would do anything to defend it. The relationships between them were even more complex than the characters themselves. You can always sense that something is going to happen any second due to the tension between most of them.
The directing was pretty darn good! The camera angles, the cinematography and especially the scenery were very involving and beautiful-looking.
Watch this:
-You like historical/samurai Japanese films.
-You like to watch a different type of periodic films.
-You like comedy mixed with serious telling.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not interested in historical Japanese film.
Kiyosu Kaigi is a different type of historical pieces. It manages to make a sombre and difficult historical telling sound so pleasant by throwing pits of comedy relief on the sides.
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Set in the peaceful Edo era, the film is a human drama instead of a straight chambara (swords play) film like the title displays so do not expect heads rolling and straightforward Samurai action the whole time. Once again, Kobayachi harshly criticize the ancient Japanese feudal system and the Bushido codes of Samurai honour that requires blind loyalty.
Screenwriter Hashimoto (Kurosawa’s regular) did a magnificent job with the story’s shades, turns and flashbacks in a way that would make you anticipate the developments of the story; it may feel slow paced at times but that’s the usual Kobayachi way of building strong tension to end it with a blow; heroism was created little by little until it reached the end. The term “Rebellion” isn’t exactly what you think when reading the title, it’s not the story of a samurai establishing justice or honoring his lord, this is the story of an elder samurai’s own codes of honour to help his son and daughter-in-law through the injustice caused by their clan’s lord and the closest higher-ups. Instead of blind loyalty and accepting unfairness without asking questions, they decided to go against their feudal lord, the system and the world they live in.
Samurai Rebellion is also viewed as a family drama with many displayed emotions and connections. It also contains the most touching romantic story I’ve ever seen in any Samurai film; the sacrifices, the mutual understandings and the painful injustice leading to separation. However, that doesn’t deny the presence of action especially at the end. The dual and the fight sequences were splendid considering the fact that they were used to get all of that intensity that’s been constructing during the whole film. It made the perfect finale of the film.
Is it really necessary to talk about acting? It’s Mifune Toshiro, the legendary best actor Japan ever knew and one of the better actors in the world; people usually know Mifune in Kurosawa’s films where he always shined but let me tell you, Mifune’s performance with Kobayachi was one of his finest works ever; he did a flawless job with the character of an elder samurai who built a hero out of himself to confront injustice. There’s also Nakadai Tatsuya, the second Japanese legend. Although he was only a supporting role, he delivered so well and I must say that I completely loved his character that sounded mysterious; he was someone who had to be torn apart between his greed to be the best swordsman in the clan, to be a friend or to serve his lord according to the samurai codes of honour. Someone else deserve all the praise is Tsukasa Yoko, she had one of the strongest female performances I’ve seen in the golden Japanese cinema. Her character Ichi was also one of the better female characters displayed in Samurai films.
The black and white cinematography was top-notch just like the camera angles and the smooth close-ups because Kobayachi is a masterful director after all. What also should be highlighted is the superb music choice to empathize the emotional involvement.
Watch if:
-You like Samurai films.
-You want to discover old Japanese films.
-You like Toshiro Mifune because this is one of his better works.
-You like Masaki Kobayachi’s way of making films.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike old films (black and white).
-You dislike Samurai films.
Samurai Rebellion is a timeless Kobayachi masterpiece that defies the usual definitions of samurai codes of honor in the most brutal tragic way.
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Coming from the same director, producer, channel, screenwriter and the one and only genius novelist Ikeido Jun behind Hanzawa Naoki; you’re bound to expect striking similarities such as the general structure, the business related events, the suspenseful tries to get out of financial troubles, the directing techniques and even the acting style. To many viewers, this may seem like TBS’s desperate tries to follow the footsteps of last year’s mega-hit drama and even re-incarnate its successful ratings. However, Roosevelt Game was able to clearly distinguish itself. This is definitely not another Hanzawa Naoki so do not misjudge this as a copycat.
Roosevelt Game is driven by two main threads: Business management and Baseball. At first glance, you would wonder if those two different themes are able coexist. I had my careful doubts about that matter but colour me surprised! They weren’t only in perfect harmony but they were also smartly written to complement each other which gave the drama a strange yet a very solid balance. The fascinating part is that Aoshima Seisakujo followed similar policies in both company management and sports which made things even more connected and delightful to follow.
This drama excels at building the thrills, you will find yourself at the edge of your seat countless of times. Not to mention the “What the… What the heck was that?” moments. It’s no surprise since this comes from the brilliant novelist Ikeido who’s known of his thought-provoking corporate scripts. The reason why I came to favour the business genre is their highly intriguing scriptwriting and witty dialogues, that part wasn’t any different in here, I was completely satisfied with the financial suspense they built even if the outcome was somewhat predictable. The sports’ part was equally exciting; I never get that feeling unless I am watching a real game or a sports anime. To think that they got me rooting for them out loud is beyond belief.
Acting wise, I have nothing but praise. I never thought that a star-studded cast like this one can go wrong in any way. I was already fascinated by Karasawa Toshiaki in another business oriented drama “Fumo Chitai” and ever since then, I have huge respect towards him. Once again, he drew me to his fearsome ability of turning into an intense actor when his character demands him to. His character was smart, firm and penetrating. Egushi Yosuke’s performance was too mystic; the way his character was written didn’t allow him to show his body language like he’s used to. However, he held an important cryptic character that always attracted attention. Another main character was Kudo Asuka, a young talent that held the realms of the baseball team. He had one memorable performance despite his obvious inferiority to his older seniors mentioned above.
The rest of the cast members were quite fitting for the drama which is nothing out of line for a great business production like this one. Tezuka Toru and Kagawa Teryuki were the better supporting actors. The latter amazed me as usual although I really wished that his talent was exploited further than that. I think this drama is unique due to the human relationships the writer inserted between his characters. The heart-warming events don’t imply that this drama was set in the heartless word of economy and business. That’s definitely a plus point that distinguishes Roosevelt Game from its fellow business oriented productions.
The cinematography was dazzling, literally. The bright colours used for this drama added vivid feeling to the usual sombre business atmosphere. The directing was definitely too similar to Hanzawa Naoki with those famed close-ups and captivating angles. One more thing, that OST was definitely a master’s stroke. That instrumental music was such a perfect fit for this drama’s theme.
Watch if:
-You like highly intriguing dramas.
-You like business/corporate.
-You’re looking for something similar to Hanzawa Naoki but beware, this is definitely different.
-You like sports dramas because baseball was a major part.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike the business theme.
Roosevelt Game is by far, the better written and executed drama of 2014. It contains a daring yet a very successful combination of the merciless world of business and the exciting world of sports. It should be enjoyed for its own benefits. Do yourself a favour, don’t misinterpret this as another Hanzawa Naoki.
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Khun Chai Rachanon is the fourth part of the Suparburoot Juthatep’s series. It had a different approach than the other three parts. Chai Lek and Chai Pee are my two favourite brothers so I was certainly looking forward to the last two stories but that’s not all. Beside the fact that Chai Lek was player and a fun character to follow; the written plot for his part was without doubt better than his three elder brothers.
Chai Lek isn’t a heavy player like Chai Pee; he’s also not sneaky as the youngest brother but he can be very sarcastic and warm in need. The fourth part stirred an interesting turn of events; another kingdom, crown prince-search and a contract marriage within. Although the last idea may seem too repetitive since it was used in Chai Pat’s story but this one was entirely different. There weren’t too much love story going on here since the plot concentrated on the Viangphukham kingdom problems and some birth secrets (that were plain obvious) here and there.
Chai Lek’s character couldn’t shine as much as his brothers’ characters in their stories; maybe that’s due to the packed characters and events. Of course, he stopped being a player and started falling in love but that part wasn’t well-illustrated. There should’ve been more characters’ developments than that.
The acting was okay, Bomb wasn’t that great of an actor to be honest but it was acceptable as your average Thai lakorns’ acting. Taew was better though, she had this way of making her character believable and enjoyable to follow. The chemistry was cool but slow-sailing, it took me some time to connect to their couple. As I mentioned above, this part was packed with many characters and thus we had a nice side love story and some good characters here and there. However, none of them is that memorable.
The bromance in this part was present with strength, the five brothers cared for each other and they were united to fight for a common cause. Although the action was lame as your standard Thai lakorns but the five lions of Juthatep can be quite badasses when the duty calls.
Watch if:
-You liked the previous three stories.
-You like adventurous lakorns.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for an excellent lakorn.
-You’re looking for a gripping love story.
Khun Chai Rachanon is the better executed part thus far but it doesn’t mean it was excellent by any chance. Now, I am certainly looking forward to the last brother and my favourite player of the bunch; Khun Chai Ronnapee.
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Usually, Korean gangster movies are either a hit or a miss for me depending on how well the execution and the storytelling are done. Nameless Gangster managed to get the good points out of the general theme.
This movie is set in the 90’s Pusan when Korean government announced war on organized crime. The gangster world got shaken in a way that threatened its existence but that’s not the main focus of this movie. It takes us back in time to tell the story of two gangsters and the struggles they encountered to reach the top. This is a story about a wannabe gangster and a hot shot gang leader that deals with loyalty, betrayal, gangsters’ codes of honor and clashes in the underworld where those two individuals tried to co-exist like a united soul: One is the muscles and the other is the brain. However, creating harmony in the gangster life is almost impossible.
While the story of the movie isn’t exactly exceptional or flawless by any mean; the acting was. I am sure that I would’ve not liked this the same if there was a different set of cast. Choi Min Sik is the lord of Korean cinema when it comes to versatility and flawless roles’ portrayal and his “gangster-like” character was quite hateful in a loveable way. Ha Jung Woo on the other hand is climbing way too fast on the top of my favorite young Korean movies’ stars. He’s creating a shiny name for himself whether by the roles he accepts or the way he makes them feel so attractive. At this rate, I am sure he will become another lord of Korean cinema soon. In this movie, Jung Woo was so fitting for the “gangster aura”; he did so well with the process of his character’s development.
The other set of cast were also well-chosen even if some characters felt a little unbalanced for the setting.
I’ve got to give some credit for the cinematography since it was well fitting for the gangster mood. The music was also quite good.
Watch this if:
-You like gangster movies.
-You’re in the mood for something different and dark.
-You like Choi Min Sik, Ha Jung Woo or both because they were great in this.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not into crime/gangster movies.
-You’re not a fan of the main cast.
Nameless Gangster is a movie about survival, friendship and loyalty in the underground gangster world from the viewpoint of a wannabe gangster and a proclaimed gang leader portrayed by two of the best actors in Korean cinema.
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This season, just like the first one, had witty writing and strong characterization (something that’s lacking from many Korean dramas) which made it very appealing. The thrilling events never disappeared and the captivating action was always there.
This season’s cases were more complicated and very difficult to predict. Although that was very good on the mysterious/suspense level; it felt a bit slow at the thriller/action level, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that the cases were boring because that’s not true but there were some slow cases and sometimes over dramatic ones.
In this season, I also disliked the near absence of outside-cases interaction between the main characters unlike the first season that held many side conversations between them. Except the two firsts and the two last episodes; we only got 30 seconds to one minute at the end of each episode which wasn’t enough to deliver a proper conversation and made me want more.
This is still an amazing detective drama; one of the best dramas produced in Korea even if it doesn’t get the appropriate attention. So basically, if you liked the first season, this one is a must watch.
One thing to add: The first season’s ending was way better than the second but it’s still exciting. I will be impatiently waiting for the third season.
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I usually agree with Japanese ratings because they’re generally objective and I frequently disagree with international ratings because they’re often biased. This time around, I disagree with both of them; this drama doesn’t deserve the low ratings at all.
Kurokouchi isn’t your typical detective drama with an investigation hero or some genius scientist in it. How is it different? For starters, this is not an episodic drama where each episode they solve a case then move to the other one; Kurokouchi takes the 45 year-old 300 Million-Yen robbery case from a different angle. It’s notable to mention that the 300 Million-Yen case is a real robbery that took place in Japan back in 1968 and remains unsolved until today. The storyline is the writer (the mangaka’s Koji Kono and Takashi Nagasaki)’s hypothesis about what actually happened.
This drama is more of a crime mystery thriller than a detective drama; there are too many dark moments going on that differentiate Kurokouchi from any other detective drama. Of course, this remains as an investigation plot with a police department and detectives but there’s more than that to the storyline. It goes into depth of thrilling events with unexpected turns that make you eager to know what will happen next. The variety of developments and side stories that are always connected to the main robbery are a major strength point that counts for this drama.
The acting was pretty good. The performance by Nagase and Watabe Atsuro were quite remarkable; it’s been a long time since I haven’t seen them in anything that I forget how great they can be at portraying their characters. As for Gouriki, I will leave it at “Passable”; I think the main problem that people are finding with Ayame is her repetitive appearance on TV dramas and her lack of roles’ diversity. I didn’t hate her acting but I despised her character, she was a waste a space and a typical prey of “female dumb police partner” personality who knows nothing but asking stupid questions and lurking around for nothing. I wish that Japanese would change some of their female detectives’ characters. It’s about time that we get some strong, hardcore female investigators in the police department.
As for the male lead; this drama displays an anti-hero, a police officer who’s nothing like any other detective you saw before. He’s someone who affiliates with corrupted politicians, someone that you can never predict what he will do next. Kurokouchi always manages to surprise us with his choices and unexpected revelations. What also makes the character quite fascinating is its dark humor; it’s quite likeable even if it sounds hateful. On the other hand, there’s Sawatari: a manipulative silent character who always smiles no matter what. I happen to like those types of characters so I grew an ultimate liking to his way of thinking and it didn’t even matter that he was an evil figure in the drama.
Other characters were pretty well written to suit the diversity of crime stories and side events that always occurred in this drama. However, some of them weren't quite good and I still can't get over the sudden disappearance of a certain character.
In a line, the music suited the drama’s detective theme in a good way.
As usual, the rewatch value is always low for suspense twisty dramas that lose their factor of surprise once rewatched.
Watch this if:
-You enjoy non-episodic detective dramas.
-You like real stories but remember that this is only based on a hypothesis.
-You’re in the mood for a Japanese Crime/Thriller.
-You happen to like Nagase Tomoya.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not interested in detective dramas.
-You dislike Nagase Tomoya.
Kurkouchi ‘s definitely one of the best produced Detective dramas this year even if it’s underrated both nationally and internationally.
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After watching many Korean suspense thrillers, I became surer that there’s no other genre that can top thrillers in Korean cinema because they’re simply too good at making those and Parallel Life belongs to the good ones. This film starts off a bit slow and may not captivate your interest ever since the beginning, but all of those introductions were necessary for the film’s latter events and developments.
Parallel Life analyses the “Parallel theory” where two people have the exact same life with an amount of years apart. Of course that may seem unbelievable at the beginning and can always be considered as a coincidence but as the film develops, many facts come to light and surprise us. In order to conclude whether a thriller suspense film was good or not, you need to ask yourself this simple question: “Was I surprised and entertained”? If the answer is “no” then the film was a failure for its genre but if it was a “yes” then you know that this film can be considered a good one out of its genre. Parallel Life fits in the second category.
This film’s suspense and mystery were tight and intriguing, they always manage to attract you in and make you suspect every single character that appears on screen. What makes this film even more captivating is the final outcome, you can hardly predict who was behind it all even if the “why” was a little obvious to me but it’s intriguing how can the “Parallel theory” interfere that deeply in one’s life.
The acting was pretty well done. I am ashamed to admit that this is my first time seeing Ji Jin Hee in anything. But this first successful encounter will allow me to pick many of his other productions because he was truly amazing in this as well as many other actors. The characters were nicely written, it was interesting to find out the similarities between Kim Seok Hyun and Han Sang Jun as well as their destinies and the way things will turn out to be. The characterization is written in a way that will oblige you to relate to them.
In a line, I would mention that the cinematography was good enough and the music was fitting for the thriller/suspense mood.
Watch if:
-You’re looking for a good suspense/thriller.
-You like the Korean way of making thrillers.
-You like surprising plots.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike the genres.
-You’re looking for a bloody/violent thriller.
Parallel Life is a well-crafted suspense thriller which appeals to the fans of intriguing plots.
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Nakashima Tatsuya is a genius Japanese director. His “Confessions” and “Memories of Matsuko” are living evidences of his brilliance. The downside is that he doesn’t come out much but when he does, it will be through a thought-provoking wild picture like The World of Kanako.
Being a serious fan of Nakashima filmmaking, I was eagerly anticipating this. But I wasn’t ready for this darker tone and pitch black atmosphere. Needless to say, I was pleased in a very good way. The picture was a clear depiction of an ill society with lots of vacancy within.
The storyline was based on several flashbacks to draw Kanako’s life. The multitude of switching between the past and the present was an intelligent procedure to keep the suspense until the end. Of course, the overuse might turn out confusing especially by the end but it was a definite win for the film’s two hours’ longitude.
The plot’s successively coherent events helped expressing the characters’ nightmarish adventures. But it was the excessive violence that pinpointed the severity of what actually happened. Of course brutal beatings and cuttings can come out extremely discomforting but it’s their gruesome nature that grabs the memory and highlights the nasty reality Nakashima was trying to illustrate: Nothing is what it seems. There’s always a hidden reality underneath.
Beside Nakashima’s explosive style in picturing a chaos in stunning colours, there were his brilliant main leads. They’re what strengthened my wish to see this picture in the first place; the veteran Yakusho Koji (he was on a whole different level), the brilliant Tsumabuki Satoshi, the charismatic Odagiri Joe, the much imposing Nakatani and even the impressive younger talents Hashimoto, Komatsu and especially Shimizu. The film’s loaded cast helped bringing few of the craziest characters ever.
There’s zero hero in this film. All of its characters are some sort of anti-heroes, psychos, sadists, violent pricks and even demons. It was the intense characterisation that made me glued to the screen the whole time. They make one hell of an entertaining bunch. They were perfectly entwined in a messy havoc. They even get crazier as the film goes on and on unravelling their traits one by one. Some characters didn’t get proper explanations as they popped on the screen but it all went well for the final blow.
Maybe Nakashima went abroad with the repeated violence, brutality, rape, drug use and all the ugly side of REALITY but it was especially genius how he has wrapped his characters in a surrealist cover of apparent fantasy. It does take a big director to convince his audience about the line between reality and fiction without getting caught in his own scenario. Hats off to you oji-san!
The World of Kanako is a fascinating take about the ugliness in society (more particularly Japanese). It’s an intriguing view about people’s masks and their crazy reactions when someone pushes the wrong button. It’s basically a gripping watch centring on wild characters being pushed to the edge.
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I watch older Jdramas (1996-2002) from time to time and I usually enjoy them but this time around, I was a little displeased. Nisennen no Koi is listed under the genre “romance” and it’s indeed a romantic drama but that wasn’t exactly the main focus here. There was a promising chemistry that could have been better handled, there are some good romantic elements but everything took forever to happen and the exaggerated focus on side plots ruined many interesting events.
This also contains the “Spy” theme but as expected, it wasn’t very well executed either. At some point, the screenwriters went on circles repeating similar events that we all know what the outcome will be. That leads us to another negative point about the plot; almost everything was very predictable including the ending. And what makes the matter worse are the irritating side plots that serve for nothing except for the running time. Now, if I have to mention some good things about the screenwriting, I will solely give credit to the concept; the story as a whole was attention-grabbing but the execution ruined a potential great watch.
The acting was good enough. Takeshi is a films’ star but he made three dramas in his career and all of them were Japanese. Although I still believe that his acting is well-suited for the big screen and that he’s better off as a films’ star; I still loved to see him in a drama role and man does he sound so great speaking Japanese! His co-star Nakayama Miho is a good older J-actress that I like to see her around, romance dramas fit her acting on a great level.
The characters were likeable but they were too obvious if I may say. The male lead was a little better though because Mashiro (the female lead) was such a boring predictable character from any angle you look at her. The rest of the characters didn’t raise any interest except for the Saeki, the smart police officer but that little attention I gave to his character disappeared with time when I noticed that he became dumb.
This was made back in 2000 so don’t expect any dreamy cinematography; I know that many people dislike watching older dramas. The soundtrack, on the other hand, fulfilled its purpose in a good way.
Watch if:
-You like older dramas.
-You’re looking for a different type of romance.
-You like the main leads.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for gripping romance.
-You dislike older dramas.
Nisennen no Koi had great concept but the execution and the storytelling ruined any chances to make it remarkable or even memorable drama.
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The plot is centered on the Japanese upper class in 1912, an era that’s very rare to find in Japanese or Asian productions in general which made me appreciate its use. Although the beginning was a bit slow, the love story was done quite well and let me tell you, this is not one of those cheesy stories where everything gets resolved with “I love you” and “I love you too”. This is a mature romance that goes in depth of emotions and struggles to reach its peak. While watching the romantic developments, you will get a taste of flowing innocence, painful denial, endless suffering, forbidden encounters as well as hunting desire that led the storyline into dark yet enjoyable corners because it was one of the basic chapters of this movie.
The story’s developments weren’t always right or very well done. Actually, some of them felt predictable and quite bothersome to follow such as familial quarrels and the barriers against the main leads’ relationship. However, if we judge it by the overall atmosphere; the screenwriting was able to pull it off and create a pleasant and mature love story.
The acting department was almost flawless. As usual, Tsumabuki Satoshi was able to get complete control of his role like he always does; that guy is an astonishing actor indeed. It doesn’t matter what kind of role you give him, he will manage to shine in it no matter how badly written it is. On the other hand, Takeuchi Yuko happens to be an expert in romantic stories. Of course, I am not denying her acting skills but if you saw her other romance oriented productions, you will notice that she always manages to create gripping chemistry with her partners and this movie wasn’t any different.
Spring Snow is all about chemistry, so if Satoshi and Yuko didn’t pull it off the way they did; everything about this movie would’ve fallen apart. It was so consuming and very different from other Japanese productions; from now on, that’s how chemistry is supposed to be done. Moreover, the characters’ development was quite neat and enjoyable overall even if some of them felt quite messed up at times.
You should watch this if you’re looking for mature romance, great acting and astounding chemistry. Needless to say, if you’re expecting something fluffy and cute then you’re definitely in the wrong place.
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Depending on the angle you judge it from, Genome Hazard can be considered as a very engaging thriller. At the matter of fact, the picture was divided into several genres. I wouldn’t say they were in complete harmony but some of them worked out in a good manner. The mystery/thriller part was pretty well-executed; the build-up of suspenseful events was definitely able to trigger the audience‘s attention. At some point, you’d find yourself relating to the main character and trying to solve the puzzling equation by his side: a normal man with a double identity and an apparent amnesia, or is it? It’s a complete relief that the screenwriting didn’t try any mischievous attempts to out shadow its viewers.
The other part is Science fiction, I completely respect the idea of turning this into some type of a medical thriller with all of those virus/pharmaceutical schemes but I am sure that the screenwriter (or more like the original novel perhaps) didn’t know how to handle the part overall. Somehow, it felt a bit sarcastic towards science even in a discreet way. This opinion is not based on the fact that I am a scientist myself – although it did trigger me a little. I believe the outcome they resulted from that long science fiction battle was absolutely disappointing. I mean if you were going to go all out and crazy about a scientific fact then you should’ve proved that the trip was worth it. The scientific part obviously failed at portraying a deep meaningful issue.
Genome Hazard had attempts of building romance as well but I don’t think it was successful at that part either. There were too many love interests but none of them came out convincing. Well, it’s unavoidable because when you’re making a film that’s packed with different themes, it comes natural to fail some genres for the favour of others. The thriller/mystery part outclassed Sci-Fi and Romance by miles.
Nishijima Hidetoshi was the absolute star of the picture. That actor’s theatrical acting style and gaze always had me at the edge of my seat; he will always make his character so charismatic and attention-grabbing. His role in this film proved me how much I love to see him on screen. By his side was the Korean actress Kim Hyo Jin; this was the first time meeting her and I would say it was a pleasant introduction. The girl has some cool talent in her; I deeply respect her dedication to learn Japanese solely for this role. The rest of the cast were also fitting; Maki Yoko and Ibu Masato are few to mention.
This film’s directing was so fine. I am not so familiar with Kim Sung Soo but his editing style and camera angles were pretty well-handled. The cinematography was also good and rather catching. I don’t have a clear memory about the musical note though, I think it wasn’t so different from what normal thrillers use as their soundtracks.
Watch if:
-You like thrillers, Japanese or Korean style.
-You like intriguing mysteries.
Do not watch if:
-You don’t appreciate thrillers.
-You’re looking for a strong deep Sci-Fi.
Genome Hazard is a very captivating thriller at first sight but it’s true that it fails at building a coherent storytelling. It’s not perfect by any mean but it’s unquestionably entertaining and engaging in its own way.
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Khun Chai Pawornruj is the second part of the Suparburoot Jutathep series. It picks right where the first story left off. There were no flashbacks or explanations used; the viewer is immediately thrown into the second brother’s story and struggles. Unlike his four brothers who come from noble descendant, Chai Ruj’s mother was a servant for the first wife until his father raised her rank. So this inferiority complex followed him his entire life with the nickname “Khun Chai in the kitchen”. Although his brothers respect him and love him like an elder and a younger brother, some people outside aren’t of the same view.
Chai Ruj’s love story was in Switzerland with his childhood play-mate that he didn’t recognize. This was practically a travelling love story until the truth unfolds about the identity of his royal girl. The love story was a problem of ranks and some lies when Chai Ruj struggled so much to find love after his first heartbreak. Although he’s a diplomat for the Ministry of Foreign affairs, he was a proud man of his servant bloodline just like his noble side. Chai Ruj is a humble down-to-earth man, the kindest and the most caring between his brothers which made his character show a lot of interesting sides.
There are two reasons why this part managed to raise a little in rating; the first must be the diversity of side characters mainly the fellow travellers in Switzerland and their side love-stories that added a good balance. The second reason was once again, the bromance. The brothers stickled together for Chai Ruj especially Chai Yai (the elder brother) and Chai Pat who’s the closest to him, they showed a lot of caring and support for their second brother.
On the other hand, what this part lacked was the continuation of events; the annoying rejections, developments and some characters. For instance, Granny Oon overdid it with her meddlesome attitude. While the two Taewaporn girls were building that hateful tension which will come in Chai Pat and Chai Pee’s stories. I can obviously tell that Marathee is going to be that evil second female lead type in the upcoming story; I need to brace myself.
The acting was medium; Pope did well while his leading lady sucked so badly, she’s a pretty actress but her smiles, laughs and some attitudes appeared so awkwardly on screen. I know that’s she a newbie so I shouldn’t get too harsh on her but she was bad. The chemistry was good though.
Watch if:
-You liked the first part because this is absolutely better.
-You like travelling romances.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike the push and pulls in romantic stories.
-You’re looking for something impressive.
Khun Chai Pawornruj’s love story was certainly better than Chai Yai’s with little flaws here and there. It was enjoyable overall and I am too darn excited to see the doctor Chai Pat’s share of the series.
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Don’t get the wrong picture, I like brainless action and all but it’s a fact that not every director can make it entertaining. I have my specific short list of directors that I would gladly watch their action productions anytime and Go Ohara doesn’t belong to that list Instead, he made a respectable piece of work that doesn’t wholeheartedly depend on action and guns’ play.
This film has more sides to it than the action part. The story of a cold-hearted assassin thinking twice about his life because of a girl is not original in any way but this isn’t exactly a romance, the core of this film is the friendship. Ryo and Misaki’s bromance is priceless, especially after the revelation of their past relationship and the way they survived together; that was probably my favorite part of the film. The acting may not have been the best, seriously it was unbalanced at many points but the main characters were good enough to make the whole department satisfying and the film watchable.
Action wise, this film is low leveled; it’s not because the lack of action but many moments seemed fake. An action lover doesn’t look for realism when watching the genre but it doesn’t have to be plainly obvious like that. Some fighting scenes were uneven and incoherent but the shooting angles and techniques made it up for the bad guns’ play choreography.
The ending of this film was quite expected; I’ve seen that kind of finale repeating in many similar films that’s why I had some hope that it will end otherwise. This is not a fluffy storyline and I consider that a strength point.
Watch if:
-You’re looking for a decent Japanese action film.
-You’re in the mood for action but not the shallow type.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for something fluffy.
-You’re looking for a romantic story.
An Assassin is a good action films that stands out a little from the usual Japanese norm. It’s not a masterpiece but it’s definitely a nice watch.
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