This is a typical anime heroic story line, secret hero of the oppressed dressed in over the top European clothes and long flowing Purple hair. Your basic BL story (but then copped out and used a FL that everyone refers to as a boy). Mind you this doesn't stop Gackt from kissing another man.

Over the top camp (cheese, what ever you want to call it) story involving love for your crappy home town even though everyone else thinks that place is the pits. Great Cast, great shout out to huge names in Japanese entertainment From Chiba and Saitama. I love a movie that doesn't take itself seriously and is made out of love and fun.

Make sure to watch then end credits and song lyrics.

This review will self destruct in 5 seconds. ; )

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Ok so here my take on Afro Tanaka 2019 which I just completed. I am going to give it a 9.
It showcases all the awkwardness of first time love. All the beautiful clumsiness that you will never reclaim once you passed the mile mark. It also shows that no matter how bad those first few dates go (or how you perceived they went), its not the end of every thing.

Accepting a human to share your time with despite their flaws is not an easy task : ) This drama held my attention enough I did not notice any slow parts, everything just went naturally.

If you like a romance where the only thing stopping the couple from being together is both parties lack of confidence, this is great : )

Score on music is low because i did not notice it, Rewatch value is low because the ending is spoiled.

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You must understand I have been watching horror movies for 30 plus years so nothing is new, no jump scare is going to get me, and honestly most "horror" movies involve stupid people doing stupid things. If something says "keep out" it doesn't mean "go in", if you think you have the cursed video...don't watch it.

The beginning was typical horror movie set up, but there is logic to bring one of the curses to the modern age bringing dvds and the internet into the urban legend. The middle you add some "experts" that try their best. The end gives you the best stuff horror movies can gives you. Make sure to watch the after the credits. The end song is pretty kick a$$ too.

If you are familiar with the 2 franchises and like horror this is pretty cool

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Why I watched: I watch as many projects with Oguri Shun as I can, they usually don't disappoint and this was no exception

Story: The story conveyed the conflicts in the individuals as well as families but never told you how to feel. It laid the events as they happened out for you and let you decide. That while the over arcing stress of the war and effects of it was going on, normal stress was still going on as well and the conflict heightened it. While a VERY heavy topic that could have been tipped either way to may a political point, was handled as hands off as it could possibly could.

Acting: EVERYONE. Every single actor in this pulled their weight. There was no wooden or over-acting (Unless the character was dramatic). I felt all of their emotions, even the characters I disliked.

Music: Oddly enough the music came from the 60s anti war sentiment and added so much to the feel of this. A choice I would never have thought of but brilliantly executed.

Rewatch: Because of the topic and heaviness I would not be able to re-watch this unless I was sharing it with someone. My lower re-watch score has nothing to do with quality.

Overall: I would highly recommend this if you can handle the topic..it was so masterfully put together I gave it a 10

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I started watching this because, as any of you that know me, know I am a HUGE Johnny's Fan and KAT-TUN being one of the main groups I follow. The thing that stands out most about this drama is that you can feel that the actors had fun making it and that carries to the screen.

The story is a basic one girl -leaves-boy, boy changes to get her back, this is his journey told with laughs and mishaps. The heart of music is a parody of music's iconic stars from Jimi Hendrix to Gene Simmons.

I found myself smiling through each episode, if not laughing out loud, and being touched by the end episode.

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This particular movie feels like a slow mover in the beginning, but you have to pay attention to the bread crumbs that are being strewn about to see how everyone is interconnect.

It is at its base a very black and white version of justice being muddied into the gray area in the name of Justice. We've all seen it before. But then it adds a politcal movement whose adgenda would rock the foundation of modern japanese society...and doesnt really do anything with it. (this thread is in the background to the main story).

This thread is why I feel they are setting up for a sequel. This movie has made me curious to research"the skeleton road" though and if a sequel comes out I will definitely watch it.

The acting was so on point, you felt the conflict of both main characters and when the tiny side love story happened it did not feel tacked on, nor was I surprised. I wasn't expecting it but when it happened there was no question like "where did that come from?"

If you like the premise, Nino or Kimura or any of the other great actors in this, it does not disappoint, it just feels unfinished...there is more to this story..and i want it.

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History and the regular people who lived during significant eras is a hobby of mine. This is great slice of life drama Special that doesn't harp on the horrors of war nor does it glide over it. The facts are what they are. This is a story of the descendants of survivors finding their story.

What is great is that it is not heavy handed with blame or propaganda, it is just living and surviving. It covers topics such as Survivor's Guilt and PTSD and Atomic Bomb Disease (aka radiation poisoning). It also covers that is okay to be happy even if terrible things have happened.

Re-watch value low because I know the story.

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I usually don't go for things that are popular or Trendy and this was one of those that had "too many positive reviews" that made me super nervous to watch this. My score may be lower than what it would have been if I had just watched this when I was ready to rather than rush before voting.

Nit picks: ML did not even once feel like he was 15, Male lead was a stalker. FL unable to be truthful with herself early enough to stop relationship early on. The direction of liking the feeling to object or action around the characters became tedious.

Everyone responsible for the child reaction's were as it should be, and in the end it was for the best for Akira and Hijiri. For me the pacing was slow, maybe because I did not choose to watch this one my own, or I am loosing patience with long drawn out romances.

Overall it was a good story, it just didn't hit my sweet spot.

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Just finished watching this movie, and It was a really good story about finding ones balance and place in life. It is also a story of helping others find a small slice of peace in their life. The main lead by helping others finds his center and resolves issues in his past and then finds his peace.

Please read Johanna Linnea Karlsson's review as it is really good to an echos my thoughts as well.

I will add that at first i thought if some people were really adverse to watching the sex scenes they could just FF and still get the story, but some of the stories are told in the sex.

i recommend this and I hope it gets awards because the truth in this story echoes in my heart.

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So the premise of this movie is based on a Pierre-Simon Laplace (french mathemetician) theory about the Laplace Demon that states:

"We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future. An intellect which at a certain moment would know all forces that set nature in motion, and all positions of all items of which nature is composed, if this intellect were also vast enough to submit these data to analysis, it would embrace in a single formula the movements of the greatest bodies of the universe and those of the tiniest atom; for such an intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the past would be present before its eyes."

This is essentially the whole movie. Now that we have that out of the way, if you are looking for magical ladies and wands and pointed hats, that is definitely NOT this movie, and i think the misnomer brings the audience in with different expectation than what is delivered.

It is a lot of talking, sitting and talking, making paper airplanes and talking, the action is only about 10 minutes of this whole film. Very little emotion is invoked from the watcher, well this watcher at least. No bonds are formed during on screen time of this movie, but implied in a few minute flashbacks. No friendships, No enemies. and Certainly no romance.

It is not a bad movie, the acting was stable and YAY Lily Frankie, but the script was not memorable. Nothing comes out of this movie other than to google Pierre-Simon Laplace: ).

To sum it up If you love Sakurai Sho or Fukushi Sota or any of the other actors its an okay movie and you are probably going to watch it anyhow. If you are not a fan and are looking for a movie that is more than just a time killer, this is not for you

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Not sure which one of these actors prompted me to add this to my PTW: Kubota Masataka,
Saito Takumi, Narimiya Hiroki (cameo ep6) or Yamamoto Yusuke but I am grateful it made it there. A detective story that isn't dumbed down and doesn't really focus on One method of solving a case. It never felt "same story different episode" that a lot of detective/mystery shows have.

The "Moriarty" character was both tedious and compelling at the same time...in the beginning episodes her story arc felt tacked, not needed. As the show progressed the scales tipped and her relevance became very apparent.

They did a really good job with this take on Sherlock Holmes and Watson, the bond between Alice and Hideo is unshakable and I look forward to watching the prequel.

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The base story itself is nothing new but the concept and execution will keep you on you toes. There is a light back ground story here that hits you full on in episode 8 but otherwise this is a very episodic show with each case wrapping up at the end of every episode.
That does not detract from the story at all, in fact some how it enhances it. You get some truly awesome action scenes, including Yamada kicking backside in his wheelchair. You forget that this actor has not been in this wheelchair for years, he has made it a part of his person. That makes me appreciate the actor even more.
This show tackles heavy topics and makes you stop and think, even if you don't want to.
THIS SHOW IS AMAZING!

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An app to call the dead that needs a referral to find or even know about. The only catch? Whoever uses it usually dies too.

This is a creepy movie but more about depression than the scare factor. This could have easily been a drama movie if it wasn't centered around "the App." Because of the social ramification this movie showcases I REALLY like the story. The cheap but effective scare effects were...used effectively but lost on someone like me who has soo much Scifi/horror experience under her belt. The movie quality not great.

I gave the story an 8.5 because i liked the story, bringing the scary movie into the 21st century with a logical thing, that if everyone knew about it would use it.

Overall a 7 it good, its not Excellent.

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So we have Yakuza protecting a small town, when the gang is betrayed to a rival Vampire/monster gang. I was only slightly amused until I see ANIME CHARACTER(tm) who speaks English and carries a gun name Jesus Christ. His gang consists of a martial artist, a Stinky Kappa, and later a Man in a Frog Character Costume. Like you would see at Disney. The man in the frog suit has a super power akin to the carebear stare that paralyzes people.

Heres a side note Ichihara Hayato does not even list this on his official page among his works(http://official.stardust.co.jp/hayato/biography/). Which i think is pretty telling in and of itself.

I liked it but i like cheesy action movies that border on absurd. I love showing them to people and watching their reactions.

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