Zíza

It's actually a terrible film. It sets up certain expectations right at the beginning, but then demolishes them with awkwardness and scenes you don't want to watch (I admit I had to speed things up a bit towards the end because I just couldn't take it anymore). Yamapi just proved my "impression" here – he's not good at acting anymore, or he just picks roles so stupid that he can't play them. Komatsu Nana and Yamamoto Mizuki were a delight, they're clever girls. Nothing above average, but at least they were entertaining. The story is really shallow, and since the movie is almost two hours long, it was impossible to endure. At times, it seemed like the filmmakers were trying to make it seem more "arty" (like longer shots of the landscape with just the two of them, etc.), but it didn't work and instead felt rather awkward. If I were one of the actors and went to the premiere, I'd probably have collapsed in shame. But otherwise it was quite good, there was a good scene here and there. On the bright side, I didn't find the characters (any of them) exceptionally unbearable; on the contrary, surprisingly for such a genre, they were all quite tolerable (which is basically why I'm giving it a whole star :-D). Why see the film? Perhaps only if you are charmed by Yamapi's bad acting, otherwise a waste of time.

Slightly below average within this genre. Not bad if you want something relaxing where the main star is an investigator in the form of Karina, and the characters behave acceptably enough, so give it a go. It doesn't offend, it doesn't excite. Great for bedtime. The main character has the attitude that she doesn't care what others think, which automatically means she’s out of her element in Japanese society; after all, in Japanese society it is not only important what others think, it doesn't matter how it is in reality. So, of course, this "problem" is something her partner struggles with through the whole series. But he gets good at it. Plus, Shiina Kippei's cute. He's a good listener. Well, that being said. A very, very average series, but why not give it a try if you don't want anything challenging?

A lightweight comedy-crime, sort of like 12 Angry Men. Once again I saw Shun in a different kind of role, and I enjoyed that. Together we hunt for the murderer (?) of Kisaragi Miki, and it's quite fun to see where their speculation, conjecture, and facts take them. By the end, I was quicker in my thinking than they were because I already had plenty of assertions at hand. But I had fun debunking it with them. :-)

GReeeeN and their Kiseki are very cool, learning about their origins was also very cool. Suda's just an actor who obviously knows how to act, so I just hope he doesn't get burned out in the flood of projects he's doing. An enjoyable film with biographical elements, but given the lyrics of the song, it was just a bit too cold – it felt too real, and lacked the enthusiasm and verve I associate with the song. But if you want a relatively slick film with no overacting or grand gestures, this is definitely it. Slight spoiler! I actually learned through this movie that the band GReeeeN, despite their popularity, is actually unknown, no one knows what the members look like because they're all dentists. Cool. A strong 3 stars.

Again, kind of that typical Japanese story – someone is miserable, but comes across a group of people he becomes close to and everything turns out well because they help him grow, especially emotionally. The cast is good, the little one annoyed me at times, but what else can a blind and deaf child do but squawk and struggle? On the other hand, I wasn't that affected by the story; I've just seen better human dramas in this vein, but if you're just getting started with Japan, I think you'll like it. The only thing that really bugged me was the nose hair plucking. Is it normal in Japan to pull them out like that and gift them to someone or just let them blow away in the wind? :-D

Takahashi Issei in a decent role as the gifted mangaka Kishibe Rohan from the world of JoJo. Three enjoyable episodes, unpretentious but full of Takahashi and his interesting acting. I liked the character of Rohan very much because he was very human. He had his quirks and supernatural power to read people like in the book, but at the same time his character had depth. He wasn't just a cold genius suddenly possessed by a savior complex. No, he wasn't at all. It was always stirring inside him – childish curiosity, elderly awareness, adult reasoning. Yes, and the boy was very entertaining. It's nothing groundbreaking but it certainly has the potential to entertain, amuse, and satiate.

A better 3 stars. There are some moments that you just have to adore if you lovingly "savored" the first and second seasons. But then there are also moments that I hated from the bottom of my heart and I really didn't want to finish it because of them (like the parts with the little one whose name I don't know and don't want to remember. She just brings out feelings of hatred in me + a few other peasants). I loved the new character Saralegui, the new king, because he did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted – those kinds of characters are just my favorites... ^^ If you were looking for a main villain, you might not actually find him here, unless you call him "misunderstanding". :-) I won't drag this out – did you like the season before this one? You’ll like this one too. I'd just recommend not watching it all at once, because there's a risk of overeating.

The series is not for everyone, because not every comedy is for everyone. But I did laugh a lot with this one, especially at the beginning. Kaku Kento was just amazing in his role as Mitsuhashi. All the faces, the gestures, the movements, the tones of voice... my God, you can't be surprised that he was awarded a series statuette for that role. He's a badass. You could also see how different he was from Ito, who I don't think is good at comedy roles or at least hasn't grown into them professionally yet. I don't mean that he ruins it, it's just that there were a lot of differences. Aside from the two of them, both the regular cast (Imai, the teachers, parents, hotties) and the guest stars were perfect; there was one for every episode and it was perfect. Just the first episode alone, when they referenced his movie Crows Zero through Oguri Shun – here he was playing a hairdresser in the Genji salon (that was the name of his character in the movie) and they also talked about "teppen o toru" (taking the summit), i.e. conquering everyone and becoming the best. Just perfect. In addition to the comedy, it had great battles, and even the more serious moments were very well done. Fukuda is no newcomer to the genre and he really knows his stuff. And notice the cinematography – its really triumphs here too. Plus the catchy opening, which I've been singing along to for days... Great live-action take on the manga, truly. When I watch it a second time, maybe I'll go even higher with the rating. A very strong 4 stars.

It's a bit of a shame to watch this without knowing the series it was based on, but even without that you can get the hang of it. If I were rude I'd write that it was a total dud, but since I'm not, I'd say it was a total blast! From start to finish. It's like a super great episode. We're even greeted with the old familiar opening at the beginning and then we get a brand new ending at the end. Again, it's crazy, it's over-the-top, it's ridiculous. Anyone who doesn't like this kind of humor won't enjoy it. Those who don't mind the film won't be bored, but those who love this brand of humor will sit on their asses and only go to the bathroom during the film if they’re at risk of bursting a bladder. It was a rollercoaster ride. Kaku Kento once again showed his talent as a comedian-actor. The others were really only second to him. Another big plus was the details – just look at all the extras, the shrubbery, the mess in the rooms. It was all period, real and as interesting or funny as the film itself. And to top it off, we get the final battle as the sweet icing on the cake. Well shot, dynamic, and even though it might focus on the two main characters fighting, the battles around them still make sense, those guys aren't just slapping each other around. I guess it's clear that the film made me terribly happy and fit my mood completely. I'm glad I waited for that moment. A divine bit of nonsense.

Basically just another episode for a series that was a bit more mediocre than its brethren. Imai has something that Mitsuhashi doesn't like, so he decides to ruin it for him. But it actually turns out well for Imai anyway. In a nutshell, without spoilers. Not as funny as the series, but it still follows the same pattern. I'm curious to see the movie.