Healing through art (ink wash painting in particular) AND Yokohama Ryusei and Kiyohara Kaya in the cast! A lighthearted coming of age story with absorbing visuals of wonderful works of art and astonishing ink painting performances. Perfect for a weekend watch.
Superbly acted, written and filmed, this is a poignant and intimate study of a special mother-daughter relationship, as well as a thoughtful but piercing social commentary on the triggering impact of COVID pandemic on mental health and socioeconomic issues... Rich in emotions, symbolisms and metaphors, with a refreshingly unpredictable plot, this slow-burn family drama is an underrated little gem. Highly recommended.
An emotional road movie with minimal plot and dialogues, but rich in encounters and silent moments. Ando Sakura really shone through the intimate filming of this lonesome journey.
An office-centred story, dealing with some common office politics, conflicts and scheming in a light-hearted, comic way. Though the employee cases were resolved in a simplified and sugary way, the cute and fluffy romance and the leads' chemistry were more than enough to make this short drama an enjoyable watch.
A satisfying woman-centered plot with a FL that keeps on growing stronger and not becoming a damsel in distress during the second half of the drama, as in most cases happen. Fierce, headstrong, passionate people following their dreams, growing their characters and friendships, never giving up even if the whole world is against them. Stubborn but compassionate, frustrating and a bit too loud most of the times, but adorable and cute.
"Bees aren't built to fly but somehow they manage it. Know why that is? Because they think they can."
A whimsical fairytale-like story, full of eccentric characters, adorable children and wonderful Hokkaido scenery. Too long and too perplexing, but the coming of age and children friendship plot, as well as some cleverly put metaphors, some peculiar choices for the music, costumes and sets, made this an interesting watch.
Brutally honest and painfully realistic depiction of the struggles and overwhelming feelings while caregiving loved ones with dementia. A difficult but eye-opening watch.
An indie film about the complex dynamics of the friendship among three high school girls, depicting in a realistic way their transition from adolescence to adulthood, as well as their emotional struggle, confusion, rebellion and overbearing turmoils to gain their independence. The solid, layered performances, especially from Bang Min Ah and Shim Dal Gi, the bleak atmosphere, the crisp cinematography and editing delivered eloquently the mundane everyday life, the isolation and suffocation of those girls, their bleak future, their domestic burdens and, most importantly, the cracks in their friendship and how their choices get worse and worse, even though the justification of their actions is lacking in some parts. Difficult and cruel, just like life sometimes is. Watch with caution.
A social commentary and a truthful insight on japanese high-school life (and society in general through clever symbolisms), as well as a character study of the various student types, in a film with a minimal, subtle plot brilliantly presented from 5 different perspectives. Watching all those talented young actors in their early acting steps was a bonus.
Ambitious and intriguing premise, with an eerie cinematography, atmospheric music and a great cast. Unfortunately, it had a confusing plot, incoherent editing, some trying-too-hard twists and a too far-fetched outcome. Not bad, but it could have been so much better...
An underrated but entertaining revenge thriller, with lots of adrenaline rising and violent scenes -that will satisfy the fans of this genre- and great performances from Shim Eun Kyung and Kim Sung Oh that make up for some weak and/or exaggerated points.
A clichéd over-melodramatic romance story about a selfish, ambitious girl with serious commitment and alcoholism problems and a rational, sacrificing police officer would have been a total failure if not for gorgeous Shu Qi and charismatic Liu Ye and their fantastic chemistry.
Cute and fluffy first love/coming of age story. Better than expected but not as good as the movie - to be completely honest, I found the second leads more interesting and convincing and I rooted for their romance more. I guess for me nothing can beat Miura Haruma's angelic smile...
Cute, fluffy and heartwarming romance spiced with coming of age, character development and healing elements (and some unnecessary misunderstandings). The beautiful music and songs, the warm cinematography and colouring, the solid acting and chemistry surpassed some minor writing, pacing and editing problems, but the biggest asset of this story was Hirose Suzu and her fantastic performance as the bubbly, absolutely lovable Soramame! Time well-spent.
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A lighthearted coming of age story with absorbing visuals of wonderful works of art and astonishing ink painting performances.
Perfect for a weekend watch.
Though almost 2 hours long, both love storylines felt rushed and underdeveloped.
Rich in emotions, symbolisms and metaphors, with a refreshingly unpredictable plot, this slow-burn family drama is an underrated little gem.
Highly recommended.
Ando Sakura really shone through the intimate filming of this lonesome journey.
Fierce, headstrong, passionate people following their dreams, growing their characters and friendships, never giving up even if the whole world is against them.
Stubborn but compassionate, frustrating and a bit too loud most of the times, but adorable and cute.
A whimsical fairytale-like story, full of eccentric characters, adorable children and wonderful Hokkaido scenery.
Too long and too perplexing, but the coming of age and children friendship plot, as well as some cleverly put metaphors, some peculiar choices for the music, costumes and sets, made this an interesting watch.
A difficult but eye-opening watch.
The solid, layered performances, especially from Bang Min Ah and Shim Dal Gi, the bleak atmosphere, the crisp cinematography and editing delivered eloquently the mundane everyday life, the isolation and suffocation of those girls, their bleak future, their domestic burdens and, most importantly, the cracks in their friendship and how their choices get worse and worse, even though the justification of their actions is lacking in some parts.
Difficult and cruel, just like life sometimes is. Watch with caution.
Watching all those talented young actors in their early acting steps was a bonus.
Unfortunately, it had a confusing plot, incoherent editing, some trying-too-hard twists and a too far-fetched outcome.
Not bad, but it could have been so much better...
Better than expected but not as good as the movie - to be completely honest, I found the second leads more interesting and convincing and I rooted for their romance more.
I guess for me nothing can beat Miura Haruma's angelic smile...
The beautiful music and songs, the warm cinematography and colouring, the solid acting and chemistry surpassed some minor writing, pacing and editing problems, but the biggest asset of this story was Hirose Suzu and her fantastic performance as the bubbly, absolutely lovable Soramame!
Time well-spent.