Reviews

Watch it at your own risk

I watched this amazing movie on 1 March 2026. The problem is that if I say even a little more, it may become a spoiler. So just go and watch the movie.

At the beginning, it feels like a normal cute high school romance. But as the concept of amnesia (memory loss) becomes deeper, the story turns very heartbreaking and tragic. It becomes a real emotional rollercoaster. The movie shows the importance of small moments in life, friendship, and memories.

By the time the movie reaches the end, it becomes very emotional. I was almost about to cry, so you can understand. Watch it at your own risk. But if you can handle it and finish the movie, you will keep a beautiful story in your memories.

I should also say that the movie is not completely logical. There are some flaws, but when the story reaches its peak, you will ignore them. For me, this movie is 8 out of 10.

Content Type: Movie (Japanese Live-Action Film)
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of Life, Tragedy
Writer/Director: Directed by Takihiro Miki. Screenplay by Yoshikazu Okada, based on the novel by Ichijo Misaki.

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Where is my fly swatter?!

Mifune Toshiro dipped his toe into the Toho fantasy world in Samurai Pirate aka The Lost World of Sinbad. Not exactly adventures on the high seas, more like rescue a princess and retrieve lost jewels in a strange land.

Sukezaemon Ruson (or Naya or Luzon or Sinbad depending on which version you watch) is betrayed on trumped up charges and sentenced to be burned in a box. His men bribe a local official helping Sukezaemon to escape on his ship. Since he’s been labeled a pirate, a pirate he will be. He already has a treasure chest full of jewels and gold. His pirating career doesn’t last long as a storm hits and destroys his ship. A real pirate gains his treasure, leaving Sukezaemon in the water. He washes ashore, rescued by a strange hermit/wizard with magical powers. The kingdom is run by a cruel leader who takes women in lieu of taxes. When Sukezaemon sees the princess wearing jewels from his treasure chest he determines to retrieve his property even if he has to develop the world’s first hang glider to do it!

I desperately wanted to like this film as I’m a Mifune Toshiro fan and have watched my share of Toho films. The writing was uneven at best. Mifune’s character made a 180 from, “I want to be rich!” to “Justice for the people and rescue the princess!” rather rapidly. The fantasy here was limited to the lecherous hermit who lost his powers whenever he licked his lips while ogling women’s breasts. That wore thin fast. There was also a witch who could turn people to stone like Medusa with her glowing eyes. The witch had a mirror, mirror on the wall that revealed where the threats were to her and the Chancellor who secretly ran the country. Not that it did the bad guys much good. Despite a sizeable Imperial Guard, Sukezaemon wandered in and out of the castle at will. Tsuburaya Eiji and his crew did a good job with the special effects and miniatures given it was 1963, well before CGI.

Poor Mifune suffered from terrible costumes. He first had to wander the island in his tattered samurai clothes. After being captured he ended up in a crop top and shorts/sarong which was hilarious. Though even at 43 he wasn’t afraid to show off his bod. Clothes in the foreign land looked influenced by Hollywood’s idea of Aladdin with plenty of cleavage, bare midriffs, and turbans. The princess’ dresses were more European medieval as was the castle. She was also dripping in jewelry. Honestly, the story had a hint of the Princess Bride—there was even a giant!

Samurai Pirate had fun moments and I never tire of watching Mifune, even when he looks like he’s not sure what his motivation is. Is he in love with the princess or not? Is he a selfish bandit or a selfless hero? When in doubt, yell at people and strut. This film was probably a silly and needed break after High and Low and also his only directorial effort- Gojuman-nin no isan. If you are a Mifune Toshiro fan or enjoy campy 60s fantasy films, this might be one to try.

6 March 2026

Clarification note: There were pirates in the film but Sukezaemon was neither pirate nor samurai. Ronin bandit maybe, but he wasn’t really a bandit either!

Trigger warnings: Attempted sexual assault. Breasts and cleavage shots to arouse the pervy hermit who became a full body phallic example of Peyronie’s Disease. PETA line 1! : A frog’s leg was torn off and a chicken was impaled.

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short but cute

I would have liked more.
I like the two boys. They are both so cute and good-looking.
The ending gave me butterflies.

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"Why Do We Have to Hide It?!" is a 2025 Japanese short BL drama (17 mins) featuring two high school boyfriends who keep their relationship secret from friends and family. The story revolves around the emotional stress this secrecy causes, highlighting themes of internal conflict and societal pressure.

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Demonic Boogaloo

Doubling down on the original’s mix of supernatural possession, grotesque body horror and shock-heavy exploitation, Devil Fetus 2 is somehow even more unhinged than its predecessor and that's even before you consider it's title. There’s an almost raw, almost punk-like energy to it, playing the whole ordeal straight no matter how unhinged its chaos gets with a steady escalation of bizarre imagery that only gets stranger as the runtime goes on. That is, if you could even see what was happening half the time, given this is a highly elusive film and the picture quality, even on the best release, is pretty appalling. However, the direction by Tom Lau is filled with flashes of creativity; scenes will frequently pivot from eerie supernatural dread to sudden bursts of outrageous gore or surreal supernatural effects, which undoubtedly help balance out the otherwise grim tone the film carries. It’s the kind of film where every ten minutes something stranger than the last thing happens, often leaving you wondering whether the cast knew what was coming next, subtly was definitely never on the table, however. Despite its title, The Rape After is a pretty gnarly piece of commercial underground cinema with some extremely crusty visuals, begging for a proper restoration. Poster goes hard as well.

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Something icky this way comes.

Full on maximalist horror, Devil Fetus wastes no time getting down to the gnarly goodness, unleashing a series of wild, over-the-top gross-out attacks on the occipital lobe at every possible moment. It's a positively ludicrous dose of gleeful insanity and maybe the best 90-minute prophylactic advert ever crafted. Packed with plenty of exploitive sleaze, including horndog ladies who love to make sexy time with the demon, the film is directed with an incredibly frantic pace and visual flair by Lau Hung-Chuen; its boundless energy and momentum are simply infectious. It can be surprisingly intense at times, with its nightmareish atmosphere, wonderfully grotesque practical effects, and disturbing body horror often overlapping with the film's more surreal elements. Yet it still manages to include a healthy dose of humour, including the best hard cut I think I've ever seen. Unfortunately, because the film jumps from one scene to the next, there's little narrative cohesion beyond the initial setup, yet it serves as a rather ingenious way of keeping you constantly on your toes because you never know what sort of chaos will unfold next. Especially when it’s all accompanied by a bit of cheeky Vangelis on the soundtrack as well as Ennio Morricone's score to The Thing, big win there. Offering up a very convincing case for careful family planning, Devil Fetus is an absolute must-see for anyone considering having kids.

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"Love can be used to trick people"

Clans of Intrigue was another bonkers whodunit extravaganza from Chor Yuen, Ti Lung, and Gu Long. Maybe not a cast of thousands, but certainly a large and unwieldly who’s who among Shaw Brothers staples wandered onto screen only to be murdered soon thereafter.

Chu Liu Xiang, the ethical thief, is accused of stealing the Tianyi Divine Water poison and killing four clan leaders. Kung Nan Yen from the Divine Water Palace gives him a month to find the real killer or his life is forfeit. Chu crisscrosses the area hunting down clues and thwarting murder attempts on himself. The renowned swordsman will discover that enemies may be allies and allies might be enemies as he seeks to uncover the truth while trying to stay alive.

Ti Lung shone in this role. He seemed to take delight in the light-hearted, skilled thief and swordsman. Ling Yun would have a larger role in Legend of the Bat but made the most of his sword for hire role here. Nora Miao, Li Ching, and Betty Pei Ti all played swordswomen with Chu in their sights for various reasons. Tien Ching and Yueh Hua’s characters had their own secrets to bear. This was one of Yueh’s stronger roles. He could be rather stiff in other roles so it was fun to watch him exercise his acting muscles in this one. Ku Feng showed up at a clan’s gambling den, another interested in party in who killed the chiefs.

This film was a wuxia detective story as Ti searched for clues with killers on his trail. I’m always amused when the bad guy wears an unassuming bright red costume. To quote My Cousin Vinny, “Oh, you blend.” There were surprising twists and turns for a 1970s martial arts movie.*** I’m finding that Tang Chia and Huang Pei Chih worked well together as martial arts directors. The action was fast and acrobatic. As much as I love Ti, he could border on kung fu posing at times and this choreography seemed to suit him.

If you enjoy old kung fu flicks and don’t mind a rapid release of characters and information, this is one to try. I’m disappointed that I’ve watched all the Ti Lung and Ling Yun “buddy” movies, they had a nice bromance. As always, I rate these films on a curve.

6 March 2026
Triggers: An arm ripped off. Suggested sexual encounters off screen. Suicide.


***The film had a lesbian relationship without making it too weird. A major feat for the time.
***Spoiler comment below:










There was also an “intersex” character which at first made me nervous because I feared the character might be shown in a derogatory manner. Thankfully, this character was also not ridiculed. It was a “gotcha” moment but for 1977 they didn’t get gross in their language about the character. The situation was simply accepted matter of factly which was a nice surprise even if it might have pushed the bounds of realism.

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Whisper of the heart is one of my favourite ghibli movies, and I always felt that I would love to watch what happens after the ending.
Considering the story following Seiji and Shizuku, I think their relationship status throughout the movie makes perfect sense, however, I personally think the scene or drama caused with the other girl was totally unnecessary and the feelings that took Shizuku to Italy were enough to cause that struggle between them, without the need for a jealousy situationship that after all was never resolved and lasted 10 seconds only to cause the breakup. This scene is probably the main reason I am not giving this movie a higher score.
The other reason is the song. I am sorry but whisper of the heart is not the same withou country roads, also since this version is about Seiji coming back to Japan, and finding it to be the inspiration for his music, I think country roads would have been a better fit, but oh well it is a lovely soundtrack anyway.
The acting was alright and overall I really enjoyed it. If mimi wo sumaseba is one of ur top ghibli movies, you will most likely appreciate this.

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Who says zombie movies can't be fun?

The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale is probably the kind of movie that matches my slightly questionable sense of humor because I laughed way more than I expected. The whole premise is ridiculous in the best way possible. A zombie showing up and somehow turning into a business opportunity? Honestly, the absurdity alone already sets the tone that this movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s exactly why it works.

Normally I’m the type to nitpick things like “that’s not how zombies work,” but this time I just threw that logic out the window. It’s fiction anyway, so why not let the creators have fun with their own interpretation of what a zombie can be? Instead of being purely horror or survival chaos, the story leans into comedy while still keeping a surprisingly warm heart at the center.

By the end, it wraps things up in a really satisfying and feel good way. It’s funny, a little ridiculous, and oddly heartwarming all at once. If you’re looking for something light that doesn’t require too much brain power but still leaves you smiling, this one is definitely a fun watch.

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Pathos and Passion

This isn’t a BL; it’s a gay film, gritty passionate and political, touching upon the real grim choices some gay men face, choices the working poor face and the sometimes crushing contradictory privilege wealthy gay men labor under. Lee Young Hoon delivered a stellar performance deserving greater recognition than his career has drawn these many years past. Admittedly melodramatic the climactic ending seems all the more comprehensible in view of the very real trials gay men have faced forever and particularly South Korean men at the time this film was made. If you’re looking for a fluffy formulaic BL about an elite boys school seme and uke, this ain’t it. If you want a convincing facsimile of real tears, passion and redemption, as a cinematic mirror held up to life can hope to reflect No Regret has few rivals.

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Red Rose and Harmonica

I Love You to the Moon and Back is about a long-distance married couple who both want to visit each other for the Mid-Autumn Festival and plan to surprise one another, only to end up crossing paths and missing each other.

At first, I thought it would be a melancholic romance, but surprisingly it has some comedic moments too, so it's not a heavy watch at all. Overall, the script, acting, and directing are good. I have no major complaints except that some parts feel a bit boring. I absolutely love the ending, it makes me feel happy and sad at the same time, oh how come some of red rose petals and broken harmonica make me in tears.

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The Puzzle Isn't Complete

Go Brother! follows the story of Shi Miao and her "annoying" older brother, Shi Fen. At her birthday party, Shi Miao makes a wish for her brother to disappear from her and unfortunately, the universe granted her wish and make Shi Fen become the older brother of Miao Miao, Shi Miao's friend instead.

It has the kind of good comedic style that I really enjoy. Everything feels fun right from the very first minute. The chemistry between Zhang Zifeng (as Shi Miao) and Peng Yuchang (as Shi Fen) as siblings is really great and becomes the highlight of the movie. Zhao Jinmai as Miao Miao is cute too. The story is also quite good. It's has balance of the comedy and heartwarming moment.

Overall, it's a nice watch for killing time.

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Suprisingly Enjoyable and No Boring Moments

Cry Me a Sad River is about a Yi Yao who lives in poverty with her abusive mother, shares a close childhood bond with her neighbor and classmate Qi Ming, but everything spirals when a new transfer student, Tang Xiaomi, arrives and triggers rumors and jealousy. These rumors turn into cruel and relentless bullying that destroys Yi Yao's life and unfortunately leading to some tragic consequences.

Surprisingly, it's such an enjoyable watch with no boring moments, despite the overall vibe feels gloomy and heavy. The directing is amazing, with some really beautiful shots. The acting is incredible, and the story is good overall, but some plot events happen really fast, so I couldn't fully feel the depth of the story and characters.

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