Reviews

Duality of love

Asako I & II is one of those movies that completely enchants you from the moment you start watching, pulling you back to reality only when the credits begin to roll.
Honestly, I find it difficult to categorize this story as either a love story with a happy ending or a tragedy from start to finish.

Spoilers ahead ***

The narrative centers around Asako, who meets Baku one day while she is out and about. Their encounter is unlike any other; Baku kisses her right away, setting off a dreamlike sequence of events. Baku feels like an alien creature; something you can't hold but desperately want to keep, like an exotic animal you long to hold in your hands, yet cannot.

When Baku disappears, Asako meets Ryohei and falls in love with him. Ryohei offers her stable love, the kind of love that is understanding, trusting, and genuine. Even though Asako realizes she may have fallen for Ryohei in part because he resembles Baku, Ryohei embraces this and sees it as a positive. He truly loves her for who she is and feels he is the right man for her.

However, when Baku returns and reenters her life, we witness how even the most perfect love can be disrupted by unforeseen circumstances. Despite the many years that have passed since Baku left, seeing him again brings Asako back to her former self, making her believe she has never really changed. In a whirlwind of events that feel like a fever dream, she follows Baku. But upon waking from this dreamlike state, she confronts the reality that Baku is not Ryohei, and ultimately, it is Ryohei who she truly needs and loves.

In a way, I could describe this as a beautiful love story centered on imperfect humans, or as a tragedy that was destined to unfold from the beginning.

Since this narrative was adapted from a book, I am now very curious to read it. In terms of acting, I found the main lead's performance captivating. He conveyed a wide range of emotions and layers, while Asako's character felt impenetrable and difficult to decode; I often felt unsure of what she truly felt. However, at the end, when I saw her running for Ryohei, I realized just how unique her character is.

Moreover, the movie features stunning visuals; the cinematography and the natural blend of colors and landscapes create a calming experience. It captures the essence of an ordinary day in Japan, leaving you eager to explore it further. Said this I strongly believe this is type of movie that some people will undestand it while other will miss it, so I hope you find thi.

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The story is lacking compared to the anime series

April is coming to the end. This year I finally decided to watch the live action movie of my favorite anime series.

I think it should have been produced as a drama instead of a movie. A lot of important scenes from the anime was cut off from this live action movie, which made the story very confusing and less emotionally connecting.

Overall, the music performances were nice, the movie has beautiful cinematography and visuals. Hirose Suzu and Yamazaki Kento looked great together, and the cast’s acting was also good. However, the story was very lacking. I didn’t deeply connect with the characters as how I felt when watching the anime. It didn’t really touch my heart.

I think I would probably enjoy it more if I haven’t watched the anime before. I couldn’t refrain myself from comparing it to the anime a bit.

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A bizarre and comical movie with a unique plot.

Since this movie has no reviews, I thought I'd give my two-cents on it. First off, it's available on the streaming app Tubi, which has a good catalog of lesser known to obscure Japanese media. Barashi Fight happens to be low-budget, and at times noticeably, but it still makes up for it with a ton of absurdity. The story, I'll be honest, is pretty unique and sounds like the plot of an anime or a manga for a lack of better words. Strapped for cash, departments in a theatre production fight to near death (legally, ahem, no harm to theatre property btw) to see who's worthy enough to attend the prod after-party?! As someone who has directed plays in school this would have been hilarious - it would've been a darn bloodbath with how serious everyone was. The story kind of gives us some exposition on 'Barashi' which happens to be this battle royale event after the play's over.

All of this eventually snowballs into a single question for our protagonists, and every crew member fighting for a glass of beer - what does the after-party mean to them? Through all the rice cooker and mannequin head fights, I found myself asking this question: why were these people fighting for the after-party, and why was only one department deemed worthy enough for it? Turns out the story was all about power abuse and, to an extent, harassment from upper management. And honestly, yeah, crew members should be treated better! Give them their flowers! Though I reckon I lost so many important points at the end because the subtitles completely lost any remaining sense by then.

Some of the more throwaway parts of the story, like Shinto's whole thing, was honestly confusing - he did what he did for the sake of art? Very weird pivot for the character. You see, the story's absurd, so I'd forgive most of the inconsistencies because of the absurdity and low budget. On the other hand, I think the actors were fine. I was pretty impressed by the action, and how they used the props! Couldn't have been easy wielding a speaker as a weapon - I say this with absolute seriousness all things considered. You could tell some of the actors were slightly awkward at the very beginning, but they got better as the story went on. It also felt like a stage play towards the end - the fact that it's set in one location helped a ton.

There wasn't much in terms of music, except for the song at the end which may have been performed by a J-pop boy group I couldn't quite identify unfortunately.

I'll end this review by saying that while I don't think I'd watch this again, it was a bizarre story that everyone involved frankly managed to pull of! Granted this was no 'One Cut of the Dead,' but it was a good effort, and managed to get some laughs from me (Tomoegawa's wife at the end lol). And for all that, I'll give everyone in this their flowers.

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"The slower you go, the further you can reach"

Wings Over Everest felt like a patchwork of other mountain climbing films going back to the Eiger Sanction (1975) or the Archer Sanction (2015) for that matter. It might have worked if they had grounded the mountain climbing in some measure of realism. Not even Yakusho Koji could save it.

What I liked:

There were beautiful shots of the mountains. Score one for Mother Nature!

Yakusho Koji-I would watch him in anything and this film is exhibit A of that dedication.

Austin Lin made for a cute Cowboy helicopter pilot. Zhang Jing Chu as Xiao Dai Zi portrayed a feisty heroine who did what was needed to be done to save herself and her team.

The cast was an interesting international crew: China, Japan, Canada, and Taiwan though with some questionable dubbing at times.

What didn’t work as well:

The bad guys were obvious and their motivation was weak.

The opening scene let the audience know to check their brain at the door regarding mountaineering and rescue. Dai Zi may have been a great climber but she had a terrible habit of falling off of cliffs. I stopped counting at 4 times. Perhaps due to unacknowledged oxygen deprivation or hypothermia, she also had strange hallucinations.

Oxygen schmoxygen. Who needs it? Or protective goggles? Or any gear to protect from the frostbiting wind and cold, not to mention (literally) blinding sun.

I know the final mountain scene was supposed to be touching yet was so ridiculous it reminded me of a scene from Ice Age: Collision Course (2016). Why couldn’t there have been a dinosaur or UFO? Go all in on throwing logic off the mountain! That might have bumped my score up!

There were times when I turned my brain off that the film had its moments, but they were few and far between. Stupid logic and stupid laws of physics interfering with movie magic. To “summit” up and not to “be-lay” the point but Wings Over Everest was an okay movie if you like the actors and/or scenery but it likely won’t “rock” your world.

27 April 2026

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you won’t regret it

one of those dramas that sneaks up on you. it starts a little slow because it needs time to build the history and set everything up, but trust me give it a few minutes and you won’t regret staying.
the perfect mix of silly and serious. one minute you’re laughing at the ridiculous moments, the next you’re fully locked in with the heavier stuff. always captivating, never boring. i stayed till the very end and loved every bit of it.
P.S. Hong Kyung absolutely slayed his role like always he carries the whole thing with so much charm and depth. if you’re looking for something fun but with real feelings, this is it. highly recommend!

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great cast but a horrible story line

Honestly, the cast is incredible.

I really wanted to see these two actresses play together, but the story is an absolute disaster.I watched the movie twice, and I still didn’t understand much. Suddenly someone dies and everyone panics for no clear reason?! There’s almost no backstory on their lives before all of this, so we can’t really understand how or why they ended up in this situation.Han So-hee’s acting is good, and Jeon Jong-seo’s is solid too, but that’s pretty much all I can say. The OST is nice but nothing special. The main villain is well-acted, but unfortunately the story doesn’t highlight him enough despite how good the actor is.

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“I am certain we were born just so we could meet each other”

I am truly devastated. I watched it yesterday, and after finishing the whole movie, I found myself torn between regretting my decision to watch it and being glad that I discovered it. I haven’t cried this hard over a movie in years.
Characters and plot: I truly love how the characters are portrayed; three main characters who are genuinely kind souls, each with their own minor flaws. Speaking of the female and male leads, I kept wishing there would be a twist in the plot and that they would end up receiving the cure they deserved, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t have fit this story. However, I am deeply satisfied with every little detail of their journey and how they “healed” each other’s souls, even if only for a short time. The deep and intense love they shared led to sacrifices, tears, and moments of hesitation, all in an effort to protect one another. I’m glad that, by the end, both of them at least knew the full truth about each other and the sacrifices they made.
The only thing I would have liked to see is Akito’s love declaration for Haruna, just as she confessed to him although he found out about her feelings only after her death. Nevertheless, I have nothing negative to say about the plot or the characters.
I would also like to mention Ayaka, I loved her character a lot. She truly valued Haruna and later Akito and was always on their side. I feel so bad for her, as she lost both of her friends. Amid this journey of love and friendship, the movie also makes us pause and appreciate life even more.
Acting: AMAZING! Ren, Natsuki, and Mayuu did an incredible job portraying their characters. It’s not only the plot that made us cry; their outstanding performances added emotional depth that would have otherwise been missing. The crying scenes, especially, were so raw and powerful. This is exactly the kind of acting I love to see, and I was very impressed.
In addition to the story and acting, I would also give a 10/10 to other elements like production, scene aesthetics, chemistry between the actors, and the music.
This movie is a 10/10 for me.

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Credible about a housekeeper in Singapore.

Film debutant Anthony Chen has made a low-key and thoroughly credible drama.“Ilo Ilo draws the viewer into what feels like real everyday life where personalities grow and people influence each other.

Sometimes you don’t need big dramatic gestures, moralizing messages or tear-jerking resolutions to touch. Sometimes you just need something as simple as the story of a family and their housekeeper. Where you only feel a faint but lasting scent of emotions such as need for affirmation, jealousy and pride.

The film is director Anthony Chen’s (who made the award-winning short film Grandma) feature film debut and is based on his own diffuse childhood memories from the 1990s, which subtly play their own role as a time period in the film. The story takes place in Singapore, in a family struggling to make ends meet in an economically troubled society.

The pregnant mother (Yann Yann Yeo) is trying to keep her rebellious, 10-year-old son Jiale (Koh Jia Ler) in check while maintaining a perfect facade while the father (Tian Wen Chen) is secretly tinkering with his career and finances. In comes Teresa, a Filipino housekeeper in search of a better life in order to support her own child. Jiale shows her aversion to the new housemate early on, but soon the lives of all four begin to affect each other in ways they never expected.

We're not talking about Mary Poppins here - Forget all the Hollywood ingredients. Unlike its story-related cousins ​​like Intouchables and Niceville, this is a quiet, low-key film that never gets boring. The sensitive, neutral acting combined with the lack of music and natural lighting almost makes it feel like you're peeking into a real home. It is not an extraordinary family with quarrels or escalating arguments, but at the same time personalities that grow, albeit slowly. You feel that something is happening and want to know what.

There are credible and titillating scenes here that build up the relationships. Like the son's bullying of the housekeeper, which in a laundry scene turns into a friendly water fight, or the mother's clumsy handling of her jealousy of her son's loving relationship with the housekeeper. The film's strength is spelled realism - Meetings and confrontations are like in reality, quiet and repressed, whether they are happy or painful.

There is no hint here that Chen is a debutante. It is an extremely well-directed film that lures the viewer in with small, effective means. Possibly a little too cold and stripped down for some. At first, the characters may seem a little unsympathetic, especially the son who is spoiled beyond all limits, but gradually we are drawn into their worlds whether we want to or not. You don't even have to like them, but we want to see that everything somehow works out.

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