Terrible, pointless adaptation that is painfully acted.
A movie in 3 parts. I gather this was originally 3 short episodes spliced together to make a movie and it shows. There's very little coherence or point in the 3 stories being together as they don't come together at all. Just 3 seperate incidents involving the girl called Tomie. The first story set in high school has some of the worst acting I've in a long time. I actually stopped watching the movie after this story because it was dreadful and returned to it later just to say I finished it.The actress playing Tomie gives a 2 note performance that is either high voiced cute and annoying or mocking snarly but still annoying with little variation. She reminds me of a cliche hostess faking it in some bad tv drama. I gather the actress was a gravure idol so can't really expect much given the presumed target audience of the movie. But I just didn't buy why any men would like her that much or find her appealing (other than looks?). Her dialogue was very silly and lacked any of the nuance or subtle persuasion and manipulation from the superior original movie. Essentially she is just a caricature and we watch the same premise play out three times. Tomie seduces a man very easily and bad stuff happens.
The move is hammy, camp and silly and mostly overacted. If you like that sort of thing it might appeal for a laugh, and her "seductive" dance in the 2nd story gave me some laughs, but it is very much a straight to video forgettable romp. It's not even gory enough to be entertaining in that way either. It's kinda just sterile and very very pedestrian. Do yourself a favor and watch the far better theatrical movie instead.
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Slow burning, mood horror that surprised my expectations.
Much better I was expecting. I knew the premise and that it was a manga adaptation with many many sequels (of presumably diminishing returns in quality). I already had a bias that this was going to be a very silly horror with cheap thrills but actually I thought it was rather arty and slow in pace. Perhaps that may turn of some but for me it was a real mood movie. The soundtrack was really wonderful and unnerving and eerie with a sense of foreboding and melancholy as the film became progressively darker.If you're looking for a scary or gory horror flick then you will be disappointed. I think that was where the series went in later installments. Instead this movie is a creepy, slow burning movie about manipulation, obsession, lust and control. I also think the choice to keep Tomie very downplayed and not on screen for a large part of the movie was really smart. It created alot of tension and mystery about the character and even when she is in shot she is often obscured from view. Kanno Miho is excellently cast as Tomie and after watching two other actresses play her since this movie, she has not been beaten. To be honest I'd say the movie is worth it alone for anyone who is a fan of her.
Recommend.
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A sometimes cheeky, but overall sweet modern fairytale with a very likeable cast.
That was far far better than my expectations. The effects in the first episode were a little rubbish but after that it was generally well done for the time. I also quite admire the actors for acting the entire series without actually being next to each other due to having to superimpose in post production. You never pick on this as a viewer and it's very convincing back and forth. I think the show in general gets better after the first episode.There's something really whimsical and innocent about this show feels almost sad watching in 2025 as a relic of an era capable of simplicity in TV that I feel has been a bit lost now. Pure romance without the cynicism and edge a modern show would need to include. It used to be a bit cringe now I find it refreshing.
I had heard the ending left people wanting more but personally I feel very satisfied. I need to hunt the special episode sequel down now but honestly, I'm not sure it needed one.
Warm, sincere and decently acted within the expectation of the genre and target audience. Easy to see why it was popular. If I had one complaint, episode 9 was a drag and could have been chopped as very little actually happened that couldn't have been said in 15 minutes. The ending song is also really pretty sung by the lead actress and really sums up the shows energy. I often skip endings but enjoyed this one.
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Go Home: Keishicho Mimoto Fumeinin Sodanshitsu
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A moving emotional investigation drama without the grit and murder.
I'm not sure why I chose to watch this drama as generally I shy away from Japanese crime dramas as my experience of them hasn't been too great. However I did try, and was immensely surprised. Each episode of Go Home deals with a deceased person who's identity largely remains unknown. The team work hard to find who they are and to try to have their family collect their remains so they may finally rest in peace. This usually involves finding out what happened to them and often some sort of emotional journey, learning and acceptance. Unlike most shows it's not usually the victim of murder and is more focused on who the person was in life often without a culprit or heavy violence.I give this a 9.5 because one or two episodes were a bit of a miss for me but when it hit, it really hit. I found myself getting very teary at a few of the stories, this will depend on your own personal triggers but one or two episodes really struck chords. One episode I won't say much on handled a topic I don't see as much in Japanese media (although I haven't been keeping up with modern shows and I thought it was incredibly well done and a positive portrayal.
I found most of the conclusions to be satisfactory and didn't extend too far into realms of unrealistic leaps which I tend to find happen in Japanese crime shows I've seen before. The cast were all brilliant and I really took a shine to Oshima Yuko. She has come a long long way since I last saw her in a show over 10 years ago. Actually want to see her in more now. Koshiba Fuka was a new face to me and one I would like to see again. I especially loved the dynamic of the friendship between the two women who are almost a decade difference in age. It was a nice onscreen chemistry.
If you want a nice emotional possibly tearjerking investigation series then this is a big recommend. In a cynical world it was nice to just watch stories of often flawed but ultimately good people and trying to find resolves and closure to painful feelings of those left behind. It's one you can watch off and on too as while there is a slight over arcing story, it's largely "case of the week" format. Top drama of 2024 for me and the finale was a nice conclusion that tied up everything well. I really hope this gets a 2nd season.
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