Karinanose

Meeting and partings

I wanted to enjoy the idea of this movie. However the pacing and emotional core personally weren't built strongly leaving a somewhat lacking experience.

The main gripes I have with the movie was the way the story played out. Each character had reasonable reasons for you to feel like it matters but for some reason I felt a total lack of chemistry between everyone. I'm not sure what it is but all the couples didn't feel like couples. Kozue and Tsuyoshi had a really surface level romance that felt like it was just going from scene to scene.

The best example would be how they reminisced about them meeting each other. I felt like Tsuyoshi couldn't make me feel like it was an actual memory. Their banter was like it was meant to be playful digging but it didn't feel as if they knew each other for that long. The worst part about this is the emotional scenes at the end don't really hit because you don't feel that love beforehand from these scenes at the beginning.

Ruri, Akira and Ryunosuke also had this same issue. I'm not sure if I'm just not getting Ren Maguro's range yet seeing as how he's so popular, but I felt like he barely had any real connection to Arimura's character in this. I think it might have to do with again the scripting and general transitions from scene to scene. Akira felt really one sided and just sorta there. No real reason for them to even be so in love, next to making Ruri feel needed. Which is not a bad thing but in this movie it does not come through.

Arimura as well felt off more then usual. I didn't feel like she was her usual depressed character. She seemed to be struggling with the direction and line deliveries. Again I think this came down to what the director wanted. I don't feel like they understood relationship building. Kei and her also had barely anytime to set up their relationship and their fight scene was extremely poor. It felt so undramatic!

Music was also really off in this movie for me. They kept playing the John Lennon song in place where they wanted reactions but it ended up just being sorta annoying. I also felt like the movie had an extremely mellow Soundtrack that didn't help the movies scenes. There were also scenes that should of had music but didn't, like the home chase scene. It was very head scratching.

The camera work was fine. I could see they tried to infuse some unique angles to make it more interesting, like the first time they went to Akira's house with the overhead sweeping shot and the train ride home in the Final scenes. But either then that it was serviceable. The colour grading was good.

I think the main problem everyone will have is how the plot unfolds. The focus from story to story I think hurts the flow of this movie. I don't feel like it was balanced. Most of the time it was only Akira and Ruri's scenes. But as I mentioned these scenes didn't convey well enough what was going on between them. So then the rest of the movie also suffered due to lack of cohesion and connection. By the end of the movie it's hollowness is apparent due to the unbalanced use of screen time. Nothing really resolves. I wanted to really get a message of: "someday we will surely meet again, no matter how much time passes."

It was really off when Yui was at the grave with Tsuyoshi. The reveal felt out of place due to the previous scenes lacking any sort of indication that this happened already. I know they were trying to do a surprise reveal but it felt super flat. Like when Ruri convinced the father that it was her. They missed a super opportunity to redo the special hand bumps to reiterate its her! Something as simple as that would of helped immensely. You still get a few tears here and there but it's mostly at the thought of what is happening rather then the act itself. Callbacks in a movie about believing in reincarnation are really important to get that heart string.

I think personally I would retool much of the movie and interactions so they could match up better by the end.

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For the most part just filler

This is only to be watched alongside Umi No Hajimari really. It can be watched at the end for added value. It mostly follows Yamato's interactions explaining the situations that led to his family life.
We get a glimpse into his dad telling him they were going to get remarried, Yamato's secret relationship with Mizuki(not romantic) , Yamato and Yayoi's relationship and finally his and Umi's bond.
I liked Mizuki's and Umi's extra little bits as they made more sense why Yamato was so supportive in the show.
Yayoi's and his relationship also allowed a little character growth in his understanding of different types of families.
It made me like his character even more then what I already saw in the main show. Although it felt like they should of added this in small flash backs as hardly any of this is really that important for a spinoff. I wonder if this was just cutting room floor stuff they thought they could use still?

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The most important thing is we remember.

What a trip of emotions this show is.

I initially tuned in for Kasumi Arimura, but I stayed for the young Rana Izutani. She was a standout in this drama. The story narrative is a strongly written drama . I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on responsibilities and guilt. Many of Japan's dramas focus on sudden death and trials. Sometimes these stories can be a little bit melodramatic, however this story was done just right.

When we journey through each characters path of life after the loss of Mizuki(Furukawa) , we experience an emotional train through the cast. Natsu's(Meguro) struggle to voice his emotions at first annoyed me. It still kind of does. But after learning about his past history it made all the much more sense for you to want things to turn out ok for him. Being the main lead, I kept on yelling at him to do something! Haha. His character grows stronger in concept as the story unfolds. Stunted expressions and ambiguous ambition
slowly reverses as he meets his daughter. Umi(Izutani) brings the best out of him and I was very impressed with the little actor. She had a beautiful way of communicating with the older actors that felt was realistic. I think her journey is one we can all understand. As a child
we are told many things we do not yet understand, but we feel it. I think this was important in how they portrayed Umi's character. Umi knew her life was a point of conflict and her struggle with that was really powerful.

I honestly cried for so much of the main cast. It was hard not to every episode. I even cried for the brief scene with Shohei(Riju) Mizuki's father, when he felt like the least likely to have an emotive scene. Akane's loss of a child that hardly agreed with her felt so nuanced. Otake San(Akane) had so much depth in her performance. During all the scenes of overwhelming memory and guilt, I felt her emotions. The pot scene broke me. Paternal instinct and vanity feature heavily in this story. Sometimes when we try to protect the people we love, we make assertions about how they feel. But only they truly know how they feel about things.

Yayoi's(Kasumi) character development I thought was the most interesting in this regard. She was thrust into a situation where she feels conflicted with her own well being. I respect that this drama allowed her to take the right step and not fall into a trope about love conquering obstacles.

As the show plays out, it was increasingly hard to watch Yayoi's and Natsu's relationship. It was an important point about self awareness and self worth. Even though the relationship ended, I think the way in which it happened was thoughtful and endearing. It teaches us about the importance of listening and understanding everyone around us.

That also includes Tsuno San (Ikematsu). His character brought in such unique angle to the story, being one of unrequited love and respect. I loved how he was portrayed with such earnest. His intentions and interactions were for the people who never really thought they brought anything to any relationship they had. You feel bad for him but at the same time, you had respect for Mizuki's reasoning on not wanting a relationship. His character could of easily become a major enemy in the plot. However he was smartly used as a vehicle for trust. Someone who truly cared even if it meant he did not fit into a title.

I think from the perspective of the show changes when you realize life is not so much about these titles. Everyone involved, whether it be blood related or not, raised Umi. We are the sum of our experiences and we should never take for granted those who helped us on our journey. No matter how much we thought we knew about that person or how little we think we know. It does not matter. They all changed us in ways we rarely think about.

Along with the moving story, we had a musical score that enriched every scene. The theme “Umi no Hajimari" plays throughout and each of the other themes have callbacks to this main theme. It allows for important moments to really hit. The music is comforting and sadness all rolled in to one.

Cinematography wise, it's a classically shot drama really. There were some flashback sequences and the lighting made these scenes thoroughly sweet. I think the overall feel of this screams summer watch. With warm the warm summer lighting and tones, it creates a sense of nostalgia.

I'm looking forward to watching the small spinoffs that are part of this series. I love these characters and will take to heart the message of strength, love and remembrance.

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A haunting film that needs contemplation

This film is probably more so in the category of Art House. It's message and themes maybe up to debate and won't be for everyone. Many of the central questions asked in the film don't really get answered. It is more up to interpretation by the audience.

The setup for the movie is a little strange, A girl who lost her purpose offers to drive two unknown woman to see a friend who may or may not have attempted suicide. That is the question they are trying to answer by this road trip. The quiet and longing looks of the characters are the main plot of this movie. The dialogue is very carefully chosen. It seems deliberate with how slow the pacing is to let the actors body language do most of the talking. This is a special side of Aoi I haven't seen in any of her movies. This sense of melancholy and grief but also subtle gentleness. It's something mesmerizing. Ando's character felt like grounding while Kutsuna's actor felt like an observer. When they finally reach Miki, we see a really interesting sense of dread and regret without going melodramatic.

When the film began, I thought it was going to be about Haraki finding herself on a journey with new friends. But it turned into so much more. It was almost like a story about reconciliation and loss re-contextualized into a vehicle for growth and truth. The movie doesn't hard line examine these feelings really but it's up to the viewer to find meaning and this is what I found.

The movie's scenes are gorgeously shot. The car ride scenes emphasized the closed and withdrawn emotions with the sea scenes acting as a cathartic release of all their pent up emotions. The symphonic music that Yoko Kanno created for the film only enhances the feeling.

Honestly the film is slow paced burn and it might not leave you happy or sad in the end. It just holds a very special atmosphere that isn't like many movies.

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How would you spend your last days?

I will say you will need a few tissues for this movie. There's so much heartbreak and loss. I felt like they really piled it on in this movie lol. But it was worth the ugly crying.

The main story follows a scenario in which you are allowed to live but in order to do so, you lose something forever. It's a really smart plot device that even though it's implications are vastly underscored, it proves a point. The smallest things we take for granted are more important then you realize. We spend the entirety of the movie examining the impact every decision we make has on our lives. That is the important message of this movie. We never really know when it's our time and we never really see sometimes what lead us to that point.

The acting by Takeru is believable and sound. I don't think I really enjoyed his devil persona take. But that's just me. His father and mother are aptly acted and put real emotion into our hearts. The father character is one of those strong characters that didn't have a lot of screen time but you understood his purpose well. It put into perspective strained relationships with family in a nuanced way. Especially with the final scene being so perfectly executed. Having Aoi as a support character is never a bad thing either in these types of movies. I really enjoyed her scene at the waterfalls with her. Tatsuya's scene in the movie rental store was god damn heartbreaking.

The Cinematography is great. There were beautiful consecutive shots and a little humor in between which was great. The shots in the other country were dreamlike and captured that feel of escapism well. There is also fantastic rain scenes in this movie. The mesmerizing piano and organ that plays throughout helped pull the movie together. It was a good use of reoccurring theme to help the main MC's feelings get realized.

The end theme is simply haunting. I think this movie is one that should be watched by many.

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Fairly passable watch but it has so many faults

For the foremost, the movie itself is shot well. It has great action sequences that are focused and well choreographed. Things are easy to follow and it has great sequences. However that cannot save this movie from it's lack of cohesion. The movie itself could of been much greater with many tweaks. It felt like all the great parts of 80s 90s action movies but without the soul to make it so.

The plot is very rushed. We have a simple motivation set up in terms of revenge for fallen family members. Then we have a hero who rises again to seek revenge. Ok great. However we had little to no build about this family or this guy in general so we have no attachment to him or his family at all. Then we hit the back in action plot point. Ok he's been living 12 years in prison, barely aged and somehow looks younger coming out then in lol. We have him gathering intel in the silliest way possible with a guy just randomly telling him he took this one off video that he kept for whatever reason showing crimes. Ok but why didn't you do anything with this evidence??

Then we have the daughter character who's grown up and secretly survived. Ok great there are now heightened stakes. Ok but we aren't going to do much about her personality at all and show barely anything about her. Now dad and her meet but don't have any sort of dialogue. What is even going on here? We know that he's shocked and exhausted but to say nothing of the sort in this moment? So when we have final confrontation showdown, Ryo goes with them isn't even questioning what's going on and is just quietly freaking out in a waiting room...

This is the main issue with the story, there's no dialogue really except the villain talking about little to what happened this whole time. When there is dialogue it's mostly throw away that doesn't matter. Sure it sets up the fact that they made the city prosper but there's no real stake in this or tension. How are we supposed to fell when nothing feels at stake? There's no family conflict, there's barely any villain motivations next to wanting to grow Ryo up to assault her.

It's frustrating because many elements of this movie are cool but it needed so much more in terms of storytelling.

Mini rant:
Also guy who saved our hero with the gun...why didn't he just help and attempt to shoot the boss?? He clearly had enough bullets. And this isn't hyper anime, no way does he reflect that many bullets at that speed. And what was up with the random close up of the firefighters arriving as if there was something important there?? Was there a significance of the manju?? Did it tie to the family in the manga??

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Three blessings

This is a sweet movie. Even though it takes place mostly during the daytime, I actually think this movie is well suited for a late night viewing. It's atmosphere is subdued and introspective.

Much of the movie is shot with long unwavering stillness. This allows the movie to be told solely through body language. Much of the time the characters are far out from the camera, so you have to rely on the subtle nature of the script and the actors. The scenery is simply magical. It's such a lovingly shot movie. It also felt as if the director was the only one there with them with his camera. I suppose that is to mimic the movies plot.

The plot itself is a little shallow. In fact it's actually a little hard to understand without taking in the visual cues of the actors. You can ascertain many things when you pay attention to the little nuances in the script. Arimura once again delivers a well acted movie. You can tell so much through just her gazes. The plot really clicks together when you realize the reasoning for why her and Shingo are rocky. The initial setup with her leaving Shingo and trying to find herself seems abrupt but slowly you begin to understand her own turmoil within herself.

Shingo's actor doesn't really do a whole lot but it works with the work ethic of the character. A portrait of indecisiveness. And as usual Ken Mitsuishi and Kaori Kobayashi show off their acting chops. Ken plays a very good disabled person. I liked that they used Kaoru in contrast to show how different pathways affect someone. The mother was cute, acting was a little shaky in some parts. I adored the non chalantness of the children.

The overall narrative doesn't really go far but it's mostly a showcase for Arimura's emotions. We understand she's in pain without her having to say anything. The story revolves around rebuilding and learning to live with your choices. At least that's what it felt like to me. Every character was marked by some sort of small tragedy that seemed to haunt them.

There's a few touching scenes having to do with the realization of other people's choices affects on the someone. Particularly the scene where Keizo reacquaints himself with his son. And also when Arimura finally finds her fireflies.

The music is the movie is soft and melodic. Nothing too much to mention. I will say though I appreciate the songs they used in both the opening and ending.

I think you have to be in the right mood to watch this movie. Hence why suggest watching it on the dead of night. It seems like it's trying to get across so many things but it's also aloof in how it wants you to get there. I think that's the movie's strongest point. It's up to interpretation. Family, life, career and love has always been like that.

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Somehow this might make you cry

I am a fan of the director and find most of his works veer into utter insanity. There's always a mix of humor, sadness and general chills. It's one of the better attributes of this director. You know you are about to watch something silly as hell when you watch his movies.

I found that the overall story in this was like 3 different parts. One was a haunted house horror movie, then a Shonen protagonist training montage and then family drama. I was in awe of how it transitioned. It definitely will be for a very niche crowd as it has tons of faults. However, if you just allow yourself to walk into this script you may find it has some good points.

The overall acting is kinda terrible. There were only a few good moments, which when they hit, they were strong. The quickness and dispatching of characters is crazy. It will surprise a lot of people. It is gory but not over the top. What will really set you off however is the reveal of why Sayuri is the way she is. Heavy warning and spoilers but there is SA of a minor in this story. It will be hard to watch even though this movie up until that point was somewhat hysterical.

This is why I said it might make you cry because the ending actually somehow made me tear up because of the wrong doings to Sayuri. The tonal whiplash is also a signature of this director. You may also come to the conclusion that he may not be that grounded himself but that's sort of why I adore his movies.

Which was surprising but understandable. But just like prior movies like OCCULT and SHIROME they tend to force you into all sorts of absurd emotions.
The music also was somewhat hilarious, swinging from Horror to Battle Anime to Sad depression. The ending theme really got me after everything was said and done. The final few scenes are actually really sweet and well shot. I thought overall the movie was well shot. It had just a little bit of everything for trickery to make you feel tense. I particularly enjoyed the flickering light sequences. There's some really pretty golden time shots in this movie. It seemed to be it's signature oddly enough.

I say give it a chance but only if you can get pass the SA and overall sporadic nature of the movie.

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Burn society down

So when I started this show, I didn't have really high expectations. In the end I don't hate my time with the show, but there's many glaring things that I had issues with.

After the ending was fully revealed and the culprit unmasked, I realized all the small things that made the entire reveal make sense. For that I applaud the director. The first initial episodes also had a good flow of suspense. It had all the makings of a good story.

However where I had my issue was in hindsight the overall plot was kinda dumb because of the ending. When it is revealed that Shinji was the actual culprit, it makes the whole campaign with Kiichi and Anzu against Makiko look like a dumb waste of time. Then there's the amount of back peddling with the amount that the show keeps resetting the stakes to day one where it looks like Makiko is getting away with it again. It gets frustrating how many times the show was like "IT WAS A LIE! THIS IS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPENNED! " I mean I don't think many would even think it was Shinji the whole time. But the time the reveal happened I was dumbfounded with how silly the plot had gotten. It felt like it was just trying to one up every surprise.

Character wise, many of the endings were fine. I just don't like the overall feel of the endings however. The relationship thing with Anzu and Kiichi felt really kind of silly and abrupt. The ending with him angst demanding Kiichi felt like they were passing a dog around. Thematically Anzu took away almost everything from Makiko but like Makiko kinda did it to herself. Makiko and Anzu carried heavily for this show. I think overall Makiko had the best characterization due to her seething line delivery and facial expressions. Everyone else just felt sorta one dimensional.


The dad was a completely useless character. He could of been not in the show and I don't think it would of overall affected the plot that much as he barely got any affects from the story. His betrayal also barely affected the larger overall story as well I thought. They were just there to set up more swerve. His story never got resolved with any of his original family or his new one. We are just to assume he is living alone now. It really irked me how they could of really made his character matter when it comes to the overall relationships but decided not to. Especially considering how he was mentioned a few times about abandoning Yuzu and Anzu.

Yuzu had a good arc from being protected to proactive. It mirrored Kiichi somewhat. Shinji had good intentions but made poor choices based on impulse and burdens.Satsuki was just over there having magical memory changes all over the place. She felt like the most stereotypical drama character. I never really felt that strong connection between the daughters and her. Shout outs to Nanami for her two face 180.

The music was nothing to really write about. By the end I was actually so sick of the piano sad theme. It was really out of place in the story's atmosphere. It broke the tension and almost became comical. Especially with the reuse of the Damn stargazing scene. At that point it was like a comedy sketch. Ending song was also kinda lacking.

The cinematography was just fine for what it was. There were some good blocking and framing for some of the pivotal scenes but either then that nothing really stood out. I think the only good scene I can think of is when Kiichi and Anzu have their confrontation in the hallway and the light filters in from the setting sun. There was also good lighting for the scene where Makiko is speaking to the police and the light changes on her face showing her shifting lies.

I think this could of been much better with a few tweaks here and there to the story and pacing overall. Still watchable I guess.

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How did I end up here? I dunno.

I picked up this show on a whim because of Nanao. I randomly saw her in Jigoku no hanazono and was like: "she seems cool."

How can I talk about this show. Honestly not much really happens. However all sorts of misunderstandings make this show fun to watch. I mean would you have expected their to be giant A.I controlled robots solving war by the end of this show?

I would have not either.

The main positives is Nanao true to her aura is fantastic as the ever so ditzy Takano. She perfectly plays the airhead with good heart. Sometimes she comes off way too dumb but it usually smooths out with the scenario playing out. I found it great that in the end Takano had such an impact on everyone. If they didn't resolve her whereabouts at the end I would of assumed she was secretly a guardian angel sent down to help everyone when they needed it. It's true you mainly get fixated on her the entire show but I came to like most of the characters.

Hatoyama was a really nice manager. I enjoyed his fatherly attributes to the other staff and how he was controlled. Ukai's compulsiveness to document and ascertain all knowledge at first seem to be confrontational. But then it kinda just turned into a neurotic quark. Kijitani had a great arc I thought. He became someone who didn't care to someone who realizes the impact everyone has on him and his responsibilities. Suzaku had a pretty good arc too despite it being so short. I really enjoyed the development team, especially Yumi. She had the overall best kill me now faces. There was an interesting dynamic as well between each group of work buddies. How each group approached the same problem was a nice look into the mindset of different age classes at a large company.

Now if you are wondering why I didn't mention Hiwada, that's because I felt he was the weakest main character. Honestly he barely had growth. Even when presented with big moments of him growing as a person, he reverts next moment into the same type of person. I also felt his character was somewhat annoying with just how wak they made him look. Him and Karasumori had really unlikable characters. I never felt like i was rooting for Hiwada but for everyone else I was. I also think they didn't even spend enough time to explain him. The other characters became more focused to wrap up story arcs which made his weaker overall. I assume this was due to the short run time of the series. If he was a little more interesting the score would be a little higher.

I suppose this mirrors the status of a new worker vs established workers. Where seniors take center stage and the newbies get drowned out.

One aspect I like about this story was how their were little moments of hope between all the companies. I enjoyed the fact that so many of the business people had epiphanies about how they viewed their employees and goals. I thought that was cute. It was cliche but cute. It kinda made each episode feel like a hallmark christmas movie. I think that's the best way to describe it.

A few small things to round this out. Opening theme is very interesting as it's in French. I liked the unique style intro. It felt kind of like a high fashion photos hoot parody. The ending theme was typical of this sort of drama. I didn't find the type of melody didn't suit the idea of the show. Ending themes really set the mood of a jdrama's impact and I found this one not be the right feeling. I wanted upbeat but more mellow of a flow. It was a song that felt like their were many hardships in the show but their really isn't lol. A good example would be Hope by Tota from the new Anne Shirley anime.

The show also randomly did interesting shots every now and then which were surprising in the moment. The under walk shot of Suzaku and tomato cam come to mind.

Overall the series ends with a sweet note. I half expected it to happen so it wasn't surprising. I bet they were snickering to themselves with the end shot being like a bird flying away from them.

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Wrestling is real

As someone who watches both wrestling and jdramas, I feel I'm uniquely suited to review this one.

My knowledge of Joshi(female) wrestling isn't the greatest as I mainly watched north american wrestling growing up. I dabbled in bits and pieces of Joshi wrestling as in the last few years. As such, I found this dramatization to be an instant showstopper for people who want to get further into the Joshi scene.

The story of this drama revolves around redemption, self worth, growing pains, family trauma, sexism and feminism. I thought they handled the subjects with care. There were times were I was moved to tears to what I was witnessing. This may not happen to everyone, but I found that the show had a visceral feeling of self loathing and weakness. Many people do not understand the toll wrestling takes on people over the years and how much effort goes into maintaining their status.I found that this put a spotlight on the fears and trauma wrestlers face. In the older days and even still now, women's wrestling was seen as second rate and not worth watching over men's. The women constantly had to prove themselves in a sport run by men. The trials wrestlers face such as changing crowd sentiment, physical abuse from senior wrestlers, unrecognized skill and bodily damage are all in focus in this series.

These feelings of worthlessness are perfectly performed by Yuriyan Retriever and her younger self(couldn't seem to find name of actor). I was thoroughly impressed with how much humanity was portrayed by them. From fleeting moments of watching wrestling for the first time to witnessing someone else rise above you. The highs were extra strong and the lows crushing. I felt strongly about everyone's battles in this show. I feel it will resonate with anyone who was ever told they were physically ugly or would not amount to anything. Kaoru's journey from someone undesirable to someone undeniable was a beautiful thing.In a way the show is extremely uplifting in that everyone rises to the occasion to overcome their weaknesses. The backstory of Kaoru and her family really helped push the motivations for her strength. Likewise the glow she observes from fellow wrestlers shining light were very inspirational. It's the job of the pro wrestler to get you invested into that story and they did a hell of a job in this. The standout performances of grit during the wrestling scenes were impeccable.

Speaking of which, I went back and watched a few real life versions of these matches and read about how they trained for this movie. Watching the matches in comparison it's extremely impressive how they mimicked the matches. In wrestling we call real life things "shoots" and fake things "kayfabe." This movie blurs the lines of what was kayfabe and what was a shoot. Japanese pro wrestling is much more "stiff" meaning the hits are usually actually real. Especially in the older days they really went all out to the point of exhaustion. You see this a lot in this movie. So if you are skirmish of violent acts with blood, you may want to pace yourself. The ring cinematography captures the electric feeling of the wrestling world so well. From the audience to the refs, to the ring announcers being hilariously calm while chaos is happening all around them. This is definitely a love letter to the spectacle of wrestling. The dynamic shooting angles and the triumphant musical choruses really give the pacing of these matches a special quality. Wrestlers have this innate ability to draw people in with the simplest of things. An eye look there, a brisk evasion, a strong slam down.. Wrestling is truly an art form in motion.

During some scenes it's hard to understand whether or not things were predetermined to happen or if it really did happen like that. That is something that for years has blurred in the wrestling world. Nowadays we hear a lot about the back end of things and some of that magic is lost. They explore this in the film when we see the owners and bookers(people who work out the match scenarios) discuss how they want the next showing to work. They touch a bit on when things happen like when Jaguar does a german suplex that signals the end of the match. Some wrestlers will audibly call out moves in ring on the fly, while others well choreograph every single moment. I found this series leaned more into the realism aspect in that regard. They didn't really have to talk about it however as the fights felt more gripping. This is truly a more of keeping kayfabe alive.

A small thing I want to touch on is the excellent set and costume design. I heard that they used Stardom's training ring for this series and was squealing with joy. Many of the show's set design were impressive with the hundreds of posters, fans shirts, bandannas and everything were amazingly done. The outfits were also so extravagantly 80s. The bright neons and checkered patterns were great touches. I loved every moment of seeing what sort of outfit would show up next. The wrestling attire was also lovingly recreated and was great comparing them to the originals. The hairstyles were also gorgeous representations of 80's styles. All the actors go through various stages in their life in this and it was really great seeing the progressive hairstyling.

I also really enjoyed how Lioness Asuka and Nagayo were heavily focused on to round out the feeling of this show. I found the three very different perspectives to be a strong core story. The heavy handed nature of wrestling discourse were explored through each one of these ladies. The wrestler who wants to stick to traditional non high flying with no weapon base vs the revolutionary who brings in things that feel foreign to wrestling vs the heel(someone playing the bad guy) who's job it is to make people hate them. Each perspective brings nuance to the sport and I greatly applaud their efforts into designing it this way. They do touch a little on about idol crossover culture in Joshi wrestling. Wrestlers have the same obligations as idols do, especially Joshis. Tv appearances, songs, movies, fashion shoots and merch sales were sprinkled in throughout.

I think this series is a fantastic gateway into learning about the harshness of the wrestling world and may even spur you like it did me to check out some old historical matches or current companies now. Whether you watch Stardom or WWE or AEW etc , it does not matter. All wrestling is valid (except backyard wrestling) and that is the beauty of the wrestling world.

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Strictly speaking from someone who has not read the manga, the movie is generally cute. The teacher/ student love position will likely be a source of contention for people before you even get like 20% into the story. If you can get over that, this is a pretty decent movie.

I will say you can tell that it feels like exposition is missing due to the speed of character interactions. Like Suzume and Yuyuka becoming friends so fast. Or Mamura liking Suzume feeling like the build up was missing. Especially during the Christmas scene, it didn't feel like it make any sense why he liked her. There was no build up to show that next to a few lingering looks. You hooks argue it was just implied but it wasn't strong enough in my opinion. I'm assuming there's scenes in the source material that shows that. So being one of the main relationships, it felt underwhelming. The relationship between Suzume and the Sensei also felt the same. Not enough definition of why. So this being the main story kinda broke the immersion.

Yukichi's confrontation with Satsuki also didn't feel strong because he spoke as if we had pretense to his and Suzume's relationship. We saw nothing of Yukichi's interactions with Suzume's to indicate if this was true. He totally felt like a throwaway character especially because they never really revealed what him and Satsuki talked about near the end.

Mei for me was definitely the right person to choose for this main role however. She's the perfect person to play a naive but emotional character. She has this perpetual look of confusion. Definitely felt like a manga heroine. She was ahead of everyone in terms of acting capability in this movie. She felt the most believable. There were tons of scenes with awkward interactions but for the most part Mei kept it grounded.

Now let's talk about the cinematography. It's very well done. The one thing about Japanese movies is when they do lighting well it has a totally different feel to western movies. The sense of a special moment or place in time getting captured in isolation was featured really well in this movie. The Christmas tree scene or the night time conversation between Mamura and Suzume come to mind.

I suppose this may also come from the manga panels framing key sequences to emphasize their importance and translating it over to live action. But there are some really pretty shots in this movie. It helps the movie's overall appeal since some of the relationships don't truly have good reasoning.

The music is very cute as well. I can't really remember much of the music but I can tell you it made me cheerful. The race theme was very dramatic though! And the ending theme is very bubbly.

I think if you are just looking for a nice movie to throw on, this would be a good candidate.

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One day under that brilliant dawn

When I was watching this show, all I could think of was "I wish I came across this show earlier in my life."

A story with a title like this, you expect to eyeroll at the contrivances and silly over the top melodrama. However this show felt different in what it was trying to get across.
The show wasn't so much about the love triangles and tension. It was more about the story of moving towards a path in life that you can be happy about.

When the story reached its finale points, I felt that I grew along side the characters. Each one felt like they overcame something large in their lives. Oto gained her independence and strength. Ren allowed himself to express his feelings. Rihoko allowed herself to be herself. Konatsu gained her confidence. Haruta gained self esteem. Asahi gained compassion and understanding. I really enjoyed each characters arc. I liked how each of them were allowed breathing room to expand their characters. No matter how they got there, their actions made more sense as the show went on.

I felt that the characterization was on point for the majority of the show. It's funny because I'm used to Kengo being a heel in his roles and was surprised to see him as a quiet reluctant man. But then the swerve hit and I was like "ahh there it is!" Arimura was my favourite part of the show. But I'm biased towards her. She tends to run a through a gamut of emotions in all her roles. I really liked her chemistry with the cast. Especially with Kengo, they had amazing body language chemistry. Kentarou felt a little scattered but when you start to realize his character's quirks, it makes it more reasonable.

Aoi felt really great in her portrayal of someone who judges others because of her own weaknesses. With Mitsuki, I loved how her character didn't become catty or violent. The fact that she settled into the chill friend was amazing. And finally Takahiro, he felt nuanced. At first I didn't really like him. As the show went on I stayed feeling really bad for him. Then I felt like he was being too uncaring but the I was back on his side later. It felt like a rollercoaster with his character. Special shout out to Issey playing the guy with a chip on his shoulder and Mei Nagano as a cute support.

Also just a mention about the show's great mirroring. There's a good amount of scenes mirroring how similar the stories of Oto and Ren are. From what they are doing when they are texting to how they perceive people. It really showed an unspoken bond between the characters. I also liked how paper played a role in emotional damage.

It was also kinda funny because I heard the piano score and recently came off of "Umi no Hajimari"only to say to myself "This sounds so similar... " only to find out its the same composer. So if you enjoyed that Soundtrack, it's more or less the same.

The cinematography was fine for what it was. I particularly enjoyed many of the overhead shots and nights capes. The opening moments of episode 1 was also an interesting way of introducing everyone. There's some lighting issues with the general Japan way of doing the blown out sunlit characters. Either the that, it was good. A good thing about the camera work was it was always sort of moving. It created an engaging flow. There some conversations hurt by the camera however jumping back and forth so much between characters.

Overall a really piercing watch. I think I cried every episode(The mom's note 😭). But a lot of things just hit so strongly. I think because the main core of the show is the struggle to make something of yourself. And that's something we all can relate to.


P. S that ending song is one of the sweetest songs I've heard. After you finish the series, watch the music video.

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That was pretty fun

The Layout of this movie feels very western in a good way. The cinematography is reminiscent of 28 days later and the walking dead. I thought it had a better feel then most zombie movies from Japan. This one felt like it was playing homage in a way. From the sweeping high angle shots to the chaotic cuts, I liked the way the film was edited. There was some great pull out sequences and the sets were well designed. Zombie movies can pull off some amazing shots when it comes to desolate building areas to convey scope of the devastation.

The acting was great for Hideo. He felt like he was really a guy who didn't have any direction. Kasumi was super wasted lol. I wonder if they meant to have her in a sequel. I don't know anything about the manga so I'm not sure how emotional Hiromi becomes later. The other characters were like sped up tropes you usually see on this type of movie. The heel, the egotistical leader, the pleasant old man, the girl who is unconfident. It's all there. I can tell there's definitely a bunch of things missing but that's mainly due to the format. The important thing is being entertained for this one.

The movie doesn't shy away from the blood and gore. I enjoyed the practical makeup and also amazing body choreography. Hideo's girlfriend did some seriously crazy body stuff. The types of zombies were also incredibly varied which was a plus. The final scenes felt like a video game lol.

It was highly enjoyable, I wonder if they plan to continue? If not then I'm sure you can just read the manga probably to fill in the gaps.

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A slowly placed uneven drama

The first thing to mention is the plot is a little strange. Is it common to come back to high school to help a old teacher with something in Japan? I know the schooling is very different in Japan and you have you have more obligations but the setup was a little random. I guess from a standpoint of helping out old friends it makes sense but then they added in the random swerve of Yuzuko's story!

I get that it's sort of a parallel to Kudo's story and showing what maybe would have happened to her if Hayama didn't take interest in her. But it's really just a plot device to move the story along. It felt really out of place. The pacing and plot lines shuffle a little bit too much in this story. Thus creating an uneven watching experience. Somethings happen at a snails pace. While others are in fast forwards like the relationship with Ono and Kudo.

Now there are some morality issues in this one. A teacher having a relationship with a high school student, despite things only becoming inappropriate after graduation. It's at first shown that Kudo is the unrequited love but then after the kiss scene all gloves are off.
Some may have issues with this romance situation. Especially during their final scenes together, we have a very emotional sex scene that is stark contrast to the other sex scene. This scene however directly comes after a scene with exposition that would make the sex between Hayama and Kudo controversial.

The movie skirts the line on morality a bunch with how these things play out. We don't need to necessarily feel like these are good decisions but they are there to inform us how these characters are themselves flawed.


And unfortunately the second relationship doesn't fair much better.

The main issue I have with this movie is the lack of chemistry. The two main leads Jun and Kasumi really don't have too much going for them. I didn't really feel like they had any sort of connection. Some actors just don't really get that spark together. They may have acted fine individually but I couldn't feel that rapport. The ending of the movie kinda proves this point that the love they shared was different but it surely will be controversial to a lot of people.

I've watched Kentarou and Kasumi in all their performances together in reverse order and this was by far their most physical but also most lacking in chemistry. But that's mainly due to the type of relationship they have in this. It's very unhealthy. I honestly wasn't expecting that sort of outcome. So I guess that's one positive to this story. That nothing ends positively lol.

The cinematography of the movie is fairly ok. There's a lot of rain shots and sometimes what I consider a few artsy shots. The movie has a fairly nostalgic tone over the film as well due to the flashbacks. There's also the classic blown out white light that's so common in Japanese media lol. The music is mostly nostalgic or sad piano.

Overall I'm not sure this is one worth watching personally.

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