Er Ye Knew Nothing About Chen Pi

It wasn't his love and admiration for Ya Tou and Er Ye that drove Chen Pi to the extremes found in Mystic Nine. He was always like that.

This story deals with Chen Pi prior to his meeting Er Ye and joining his clan so it has nothing to do with Mystic Nine. The only connection besides Chen Pi himself is the dilapidated temple where he lives. That temple is the same as in MN: Side Story 3 about Huo Ji Xin. In this movie Chen Pi becomes the avenger of a family after being paid by one family member. They should have named this MN: Grim Reaper because that is what Chen Pi was. It's most evident in the after credit scene.

The story is not new. It's been seen before. It's been done better and worse. There is a whole thing about human experiments that has no explanation. That may actually have tied in with the Mystic Nine series, but I don't know. There's absolutely no character development whatsoever. I mean like NONE! The crazy people are just crazy. Why? They just are. The cast and the acting were good.

The music was supportive. As always the re-watch is n/a.

Unlike the other movies I'm not sure this prequel was worth watching. You learn nothing new. Chen Pi is a killer! Big deal. We already knew that. Honestly, if you just go by the look and flow of it, this is the better of the 4 specials. For me it's the 2nd most entertaining. It's an example of a good story that's poorly executed.

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No Clue What the Ganges has to do with it

I expected the movie to take place in Hindustani or something, but nope. It's right there on the outskirts of Changsha, China like the other movies. * shrug *

Anywho...

Like Tiger Bone Plum Blossom, this is not a side story. It is a prequel. It's the story of how Huo Jin Xi became clan head just like TBPB is the story of the Xie's head. This movie was kind of good. The story was fairly solid and interesting. Members of all the Mystic 9 families were trapped and are being murdered and they don't know why or by whom. It's up to the remaining members to solve the riddle to survive. That's a pretty good premise for a web movie.

The production was good. There weren't a lot of sets nor characters. It was better than I would expect for something that was aired online. Don't expect the quality of a theatrical release. It was as good as a tv movie. The acting was so-so. Some people could act and some couldn't and it showed. Wang Mei Ren was impressive as Huo Jin Xi. Too bad they didn't let the character show what she could do in the Mystic 9 series. She was pretty pathetic and conniving in MN, but here she was kind and a bit of a badass. I guess they wanted to show her real personality and why she perhaps changed.

The music supported the movie. It was nothing special. My rewatch, as always, is 0. I guess I should say n/a. I'd say it's worth watching if you watched MN.

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Enjoyable from start to finish

I thoroughly enjoyed myself watching this live action version of Yuru Camp. It brought great memories of the anime. It was a fun watch and the episodes flew by. If you're usually disappointed with live actions because they never seem to correctly bring to life your favorite character(s) from a manga or anime, I think you'll enjoy this one. It's well cast. You can easily guess who is who by a photo. The actresses embodied their characters well. The actress who plays Nadeshiko even has her laugh.

They didn't really change the story much. It's about HS aged girls who camp (and eat). Pretty up front. The scenery, though. GORGEOUS! I thought the artwork was beautiful, but it's nothing compared to the real thing. The production is well done. The cast is great. Like I said they embody their characters and they each do it well. Will they win awards? Doubtful. Will they make you smile and/or laugh? I don't know, but they did me. Then there's always the food. THE FOOD! Don't watch this hungry. Just don't. I tend not to re-watch, but I can see myself re-watching this. The music was good.

The episodes come in at less than 24 minutes if you skip the ending and beginning titles sequences. They don't drag and are fun to watch. If you enjoyed the anime, I wouldn't skip the live action. I can't see any reason to dislike it.

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Chou no Rikigaku is the 4th (perhaps last) installment of the Murder Analysis Squad series. It's been 4 years and detective Kisaragi Toko is no longer the wide eyed naive rookie she was in series one. She's still a bull dog though.

The MAS series began with Ishi no Mayu. I did a full review of it so I won't go into detail Needless to say, it was very good and worth a watch. Next came Suishou no Kodou, which takes place 1 year after the end of ishi no Mayu. Metro Police Dept Division 11 is on the scene with all but 1 familiar face. Kisaragi is trying to overcome the psychological trauma she experienced in Ishi by jumping head first into cases. She also makes several trips to the prison to visit the serial killer from Ishi, who refuses to see her. I found SnK to be more of a character analysis than murder analysis. Yes, there were gruesome murders, but the suspense and tension that was is in Ishi was lacking. As in Ishi the cast was very good as was the production. The music did it's job. I don't remember there being any particular song. The rewatch value is fairly high as it's only 5 episodes long. 8.5

The third installment is actually a hen (part of the story usually not involving a main character) and takes place prior to series 1. Aku no Hado revolves around Yuginuma Masato, an important character in Ishi and shows the events that led him to cross paths with Kisaragi. If Kodou is a possible character study, Aku no Hado most definitely is one It revolves around the Hanging Oneself murderer. However, at it's core Aku shows the awakening of a psychopath if one can go from sociopath to psychopath that is. There is very little in the form of investigation. The suspense comes mostly at the end of the last episode. There's also the added tension of waiting for the psychological break that you know will happen. It was a little lacklustre, but sufficient. Hado is not thrilling at all, but it is good. It starts slow and builds to a crescendo which is the beginning of Ishi. The cast is good. This was my first time seeing Ikeda Tetsuhiro (Det. Iguchi) in such a meaty role. I'm used to him as the bungling sidekick to Yabe Kenzou. I have respect for his acting skills now. I'm glad I watched this one, but I wouldn't want to watch it again. 8.0

As I stated Chou no Rikigaku takes place 4 years after the beginning of Ishi no Mayu. Kisaragi has come into her own as a police detective. I still was not fond of her. I had a lot of questions on Rikigaku's pecking order. It made no sense to me why a detective with only 4 years experience essentially becomes the team leader over more seasoned detectives. I kept thinking 'who is she to give them orders' and 'why are they listening to her without push back.' It was just too unrealistic, especially given that female detectives still aren't taken very seriously in Japan. A fact which they make all too clear in the 2nd series. Otherwise, I enjoyed CnR. The murder toll and murders were amped up. It also marks the end of the team as we know it since there is a transfer looming. I enjoyed Rikigaku. I liked the intertwining story/stories and how they come together. Rikigaku has the the same core cast as Kodou and they are equally as good. The production is solid as is the background music. Re-watch is fairly high as the drama (and Murder Squad series) is short and I feel like there may be clues I missed this first go 'round. 8.5

The Murder Squad series is led by Kimura Fumino. Personally, she's not my cup of tea. I don't know what it is about her, but she annoys me. Perhaps it's just the type of characters she plays (they usually have some kind of personality flaw), or it could just be the actress herself. I'm not sure. I do acknowledge that she does play her characters well. In the first 2 series I wanted to shake her several times. In Rikigaku I just wanted to punch her... just. The veteran cast does a very good job as her supports. However, the stars of the series and the fun ones to watch are the psychopaths in series 1 and 3. Both actors were great.

The writing and production for the series is solid. Hado is a little below the other 3. Some quality was cut as if the budget was lower. Overall, the music was good as it conveyed the emotions necessary. If I could score the series in it's entirety, I'd give it a 9. Yeah it takes some leaps, but they're entertaining leaps.

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The one thing I love about the Japanese is their ability to tell a story and develop characters. I also enjoy that they don't feel the need to put a romance in everything they do. If you've never watched a J-drama (shame on you) and enjoy crime dramas, murder, suspense, etc, then Ishi no Mayu is a great drama to start with. At only 5 episodes it doesn't require much of a commitment. If you do watch J-dramas, this is on par with dramas like Strawberry Night.

You might be thinking there's no way they can sufficiently tell a story in 5 episodes. To that I say, "Oh but they can!" Kisaragi Toko if a rookie Metropolitan Police detective. Assigned to division 1, she finds herself involved in a strange murder where the victim was encased in cement. Not only that, but the murderer will only speak to her when he calls the police. Kisaragi is haunted not only by the case, but by memories of her deceased father who was a retired detective. Squad 1 finds they have to solve a past case in order to solve the current.

The story is really written well. There may be plot holes but they were small. There were also no red herrings. When they narrowed down to their suspect, no new suspects popped up to confuse the watcher. Instead of who is the killer it's more where is the killer. The production is good. Most of the scenes were done on location it seems. The music conveyed all the emotion necessary so in that respect it was good as well.

The cast is peppered with veteran actors and it shows. They were very good at conveying emotions and thought just by their facial expression and eyes alone. I hope the cast is the same for the next series (what we might call season). Re-watch is fairly high for me as I may re-watch with friends or family.

Overall this was a fine crime drama right in line with other excellent crime/mystery dramas even at 5 episodes.

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Right off the bat I was in love with Fullmetal Alchemist the movie.  From the start you can see the sets were amazing and the CGI was top notch.  It was going to have to be just to pull off Al, but sometimes the Japanese skimp on live actions so you never know.  I've watched the FMA animes series and movies both Japanese and English and I was not disappointed. Of course I wish they had of dragged the story out a bit.  What I mean is they hit the major plot points but it moves fast, at some places too fast.  Together FMA and FMA: Brotherhood total over 100 episodes.  There are aspects in the beginning that I would have liked to have seen in the live action.  HOWEVER, skipping them or speeding up events did not deter from the story.  To be honest I got a little confused between events for FMA and FMA:B plust the OVAs.  It's obvious there's another movie in the works. I hope they slow it down just a tad.

To roll it back a bit for anyone clueless about FMA.  It's the story of 2 brothers, Edward and Alphonse Eldric, and their adventures as alchemists.  Ed is a "dog of the state," a state employed alchemist who travels to  places of upheaval. They're kind of like national police. As children Ed and Al performed a alchemic transmutation that is against the law of nature and dangerous. In doing so Ed lost an arm and leg but gained the ability to transmute without using a circle (kind of like a spell without an incantation). Al lost his entire body and his soul was tethered to a suit of armor by Ed. Together they seek a way to get back what they've lost.

The script was good.  The writer pulled in aspects from the manga and animes.  There was no doubt this was the world of FMA. The case was excellent. At first I had my doubts about Ryosuke Yamada, but he became Ed. No doubt.  It's a shame that they had actors on the caliber of Jun Kunimura and Fumiyo Kohinata for such small roles, but maybe they'll reappear somehow.  The music was good and I will probably re-watch this during the weekend.

I'm a huge fan of FMA and this was just another entrance into their universe.  Was it perfect?  Heck no, but I doubt it could have been done any better. It was a fun watch.  I enjoyed myself.  What more can you ask for really?

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I'm going to be honest. This move is really close to my heart so my review after seeing it umpteen times in over 30 years is probably a little skewed. Firstly, if you don't like dry and dark comedy, don't bother with The Funeral. You will not like it. If you are, shall I say, not prone to bawdiness or a little prissy, don't bother with The Funeral. HOWEVER. if you don't mind funeral jokes, seeing people insanely running through woods, and pretty much losing it over the death of the patriarch in their family, do bother with The Funeral.

Thirty years ago there weren't many movies like this. Because of this move I became a big fan of what I call the Funeral Comedy. I won't go to a funeral, but I'll watch a comedy about one anytime. Sad, but true. I had never seen anything quite like the Funeral, not in the US and certainly not coming out of Japan. The writer/director, Juzou Itami, was a genius that died before his time, but you can see his influence in other directors like Miike Takeshi. For Japanese film of the time there was nothing comparable in it's production (from writing to editing).

The story seems basic enough. An old man dies. His family gathers for a few days to make funeral preparations. Seems simple. Not really. That's when everything goes sideways. Bad for them. Good for the viewer. Some families just shouldn't get together no matter what the circumstance. The acting is great. Itami had a stable of actors, much like Woody Allen, who popped up in most if not all of his movies. Two of those actors, Tsutomu Yamazaki and Nobuko Miyamoto (Juzou's widow), give splendid performances. The entire cast is very good.

Admittedly, when I watch this now, I immediately think it's too slow. Eventually this gives way to what is a damn good movie.

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Yeah..so..um..It's crap!

Let me break it down for you like this:

concept: 9
writing: 5.5
directing & editing: 4
lead actors: 1.5
rest of cast:7

So, basically had they hired leads with more talent, a better director, and more competent editor this convoluded, melodramatic, barely passable murder mystery would have been much better. As it stands it's not the worse drama I've ever seen (that dubious honor goes to The Rose, another Joe Cheng drama..hmmm), but it's down there vying for the title. Speaking of Cheng, I don't know what people see in him, but he needs acting lessons. The man has not a clue how to emote. He's no better than he was when he first started. Kuo's voice is annoying. I couldn't stand to hear her speak.

Don't let the pretty good first 2 episodes fool you. Watch it at your own risk. You've been warned. There are a LOT of better dramas in this genre. Taiwan needs to step it's game up, big time!

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Warning: Anime Onlies Stay Back!

Right off the bat let me just advise those that are watching the anime and have not read the manga to skip this movie. Aside from the fact that more than half of the movie is a spoiler, there are many differentiations. I have not read the manga. Kept saying I was going to and never did. I don't know which adaptation is closer to the manga if either are. However, there were scenes I was looking forward to that were skipped and character changes that are unclear to me. l will probably make some slight comparisons to the anime without giving details. If that's ok with you, read on.

For those who have no clue about Zom 100 here's a better synopsis: Akira Tendou graduated college and lands a job in his dream company. Unbeknownst to Tendou-kun, this dream company is a exploitive and treat their employees horribly. A year later the once effervescent, happy go lucky Tendou is but a shell of his former self. Without the courage to quit he lives each day dreading his job until one morning a zombie apocalypse hits and while people are running in fear Tendou is running with joy in his heart because he never has to report to that job again. The now happy Tendou has a new lease on a life and begins his bucket list of things to do before he becomes a zombie. That's it in a nutshell.

Although the anime is only on episode 3, I admit I think it's better than this movie. The movie tries to pack in too much information and moves too fast. Because of this I think little things are lost, especially some of the laughs. For instance Tendou and Kencho's escape from the roof is cut. It's completely different and no where near as amusing as it is in the anime. A few of the characters have been tweaked and or changed for reasons unknown. Honestly, I thought the Zom100 live action was a series not a movie. I would never have watched it. Even as a movie it shouldn't have outpaced the anime the way it does. They should've either held it's release or made a 2 part movie. The production quality was ok for Japan. One day I have hope that they will stop their traditionally bad habit of filming through yellow lenses. To me it cheapens their movies. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of Japanese directors that can command the budgets to film how they want and the director of Zom100 is not one of them. The makeup and special efx were pretty good. The ending was little too condensed for lack of a better word. (To be true there are a plethora of better words but at 2:30am my brain is refusing to tell them to me.) It's as if the director is saying 'we're hoping for a part 2, but if not at least it's an ending.' The thing is Zom 100 is still being published. No one knows the ending except the mangaka, maybe.

The cast was good enough...I guess. To be honest I don't feel like we got to know them well enough. Don't get me wrong Akaso Eiji was very good as Tendou, but I just didn't care about his friends. They didn't give us the backstory or the development needed to care about them. Had they not changed the end of how Tendou and Kencho escape the zombie's we would have had more background on Kencho and learned much more of his personality. At the end when Kencho reveals his dream, it comes out of no where because they skipped everything that would have let the viewer know this fact about him. Make sense? (Sometimes not using spoilers is a difficult thing.) Here's one thing that was just asinine: they changed the college sport Tendou and Kencho played in college from rugby to American football. No offense to Akaso, but he's way too scrawny to be a lineman. My grandma could blow him away and she died 30 years ago. It made me chuckle when he said it and it really made me giggle when they showed a flashback. Little leaguers are more buff than Akaso. Mind you there's a tackle scene that looks pretty damn good, but it's obviously a stuntman. Granted, rugby probably wouldn't have worked either due to this actor's build. They probably should've changed the sport to hockey, soccer, or flag football maybe.

The music is eh. It wasn't used as artfully as it could and should have been. I have no intentions of watching this again. I may re-watch a scene or 2, but there was nothing in this that excited me and made me want to see it again.

If this was a theatre, I'd tell you save your money. Since it's on Netflix, all I can say is watch the anime. Three episodes of the anime are more entertaining than 2 hours of this movie. At least wait so you don't spoil things for yourself. As an adaptation of a story I'm enjoying, this movie gets a 4.5-5. As a stand alone movie. I'd say 6 to 6.5 and that's generous.

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Oh how I disliked you. Let me count the ways:
1- Poor production
2- Crappy acting
3- Bad screenwriting
4- .... Guess there's only 3.

From the beginning you can tell the production company put very little money into this movie. The film quality is great for 1999. It looks like it was done on VHS tape. It's definitely not digital. The entire movie takes place on a ship. They didn't use money to build sets. There was no reason why the film quality was sub-par. Indies don't even look this poor any more. Also, this is an R rated movie due to rape scenes, partial nudity, and sex scenes.

OK the acting was bad for the most part. The cast has talent, but you wouldn't be able to tell. I think part of the reason for the poor performances is that they had nothing to go on. It looks like the director said, "Ok just lay there and look hungry. Yeah, that's good." The script was just as poor. The words coming out of their mouths seemed to be strung together by a H.S. sophomore (and, yes, I just insulted high school sophomores).

The only good thing I can say is that there was one interesting character. He's the only reason why I kept watching it. I had a question as to the nature of the character and I still do. The question goes unanswered.

They had an interesting idea and concept; a kernel of hope, but they killed it. It would have been truly thought provoking if it had been laid in the hands of a much more capable crew.

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Fun and heartwarming with a side of fear

Sweet Home was fantastic fun. It is what it says it is. It's not masquerading as a sappy romance. There's not forced relationship in the middle of people fighting for their lives. People come together to survive a monster apocalypse, if you will, and that's it. It shows the humane and nasty sides of humans. I say that because if you're a person that needs a side of romance in EVERYTHING, this is not your cupper. Yes, as humans the characters get closer, but it's not that type of party.

The story is about surviving a national emergency where monsters are the new norm and anyone can turn. The surviving tenants of the Sweet Home apartment complex try to make a good thing out of bad while fighting monsters (within and without) and trying to figure out how to survive. Of course there is the requisite food rationing, power grabs, and in fighting, but mostly the residents support each other in their survival as they don't know who has or may turn into a monster. There is so much more I'd love to say, but I think it'll just be one giant spoiler. I will say I disagree with the reviews that say it's more than a monster series/drama. The best monster movies (and series) have all shown the beautiful and ugly sides of humanity. That's what they're all about. How do you come together to survive and outlast adversity? That's how TWD has stayed on for so long.

I have got to say the effects are great! They're all CG, but done very well. They're on par with movie effects. The writing and directing are good. The cast is wonderful! I was shocked to see Kim Gab Soo in this genre. I can't recall ever seeing him out of a suit. The scene stealing rounds out with 2 of my other favorites: Woo Hyun and Kim Sang Ho. I'd like to say it was a great ensemble, but the leads were prevalent. There was a lead ensemble and a support ensemble that worked well together if that makes any sense. Kang Sang was wonderful as Hyun Soo. He brought so much heart to his role. Lee Jin Wook, who I barely recognized due to his weight, was perfection. His character grows by leaps and bounds. This was the first time I've ever liked Lee Shi Young in anything! She finally found her niche and a good use for those boxing skills.

The music was good. It worked well in every episode. I've already started re-watching it soooo...yeah it's worth it, especially if, like me, you watch series from other nations in English with subs (when available) and in original language with subs.

To me Sweet Home put all the best things in a monster movie into a drama. It brought the heart and sadness. It brought the violence and fear. Mostly, it brings the hope. My hope is for season 2. :D

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Very Entertaining

The concept of Apartment 404, while limiting if you take the title at face value, takes large scale crimes that happened in apartment buildings/complexes from different time periods is SK and has the cast solve them. It made me wonder what exactly goes on in large complexes as I've never lived in one. They dropped a fact about how many apartment buildings there are in SK. I don't remember exactly, but they're one of the top in the world. That's a lot of damn apartments! I think the producers realized they didn't have enough source material and expanded their reach as seen in episodes 7 and 8. This actually gave me hope for a season 2.

I truly enjoyed every episode. It's like Busted! mixed with a bit of Village the 8 (had it lived up to it's potential). It was fun trying to figure out clues and guess which one (if any) of the endearing cast lead by King of the Variety Show, You Jae Suk. I will watch at least one episode of any show Yoo does. Of the shows available to me in the last 12-14 years there's only been 2 that I wasn't fond of. I was familiar with everyone in the cast but grew to love was Lee Jung Ha. You would think he'd get swallowed up by the over top personalities of the rest of the cast, but held his own and got better with each episode.

Rarely to I re-watch dramas but I tend to re-watch variety so I can laugh. In the case of Apt 404 it's more of case of trying to find clues that I missed. I would recommend this as a de-stresser to anyone, especially if they like things that are light hearted with a bit of mystery.

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An Unnecessary Prequel

Wandering Earth 2 does not pick up at the end of the first movie or even some time later. Instead, it opts to go a couple decades earlier before the lead character of WE2, Liu Pei Qiang, met the mother of the lead character of WE, Liu Qi. WE2 shows us what happened on Earth prior to movie 1 and how the plan to move the planet was initiated and accomplished. The problem with that is that I don't think anyone was really asking.

The story drags, especially around Andy Lau's character, Tu Heng Yu, who perfects the A.I. program. The end of WE2 connects us to the beginning of the first movie and to a comment made by Pei Qiang toward the end of WE. It gave 2001: A Space Odyssey vibes. The movie has excellent graphics. Honestly, my favorite parts of the movie came from the suppporting and guest roles. The Chinese excel at making side conversations interesting (or funny) as opposed to mummbles when you know people are speaking you just don't know what they're saying as with most movies. It's an anime trope that works very well in a scifi movie where there is a lot of action and movements going on simultaneously.

The cast is good. There are little scenes that stand out and gestures by some actors. Li Xue Jian plays a politician and his facial expressions and small gestures gave life to every scene he was in. There's a scene where he is just clapping, but the way he claps & his facial expression speaks volumes. That's an actor! When you can command a scene and get your point across without opening your mouth. You're a master. Kawawa Kadichi plays South African astronaut, Herbert Copley, who goes through training with Liu and has a running gag of Pei Qiang not understanding him. Another character (either his name is Chief Wang or I have 2 characters mixed up) was great. The scenes between the Chief and Liu were touching. Wu Jing as Liu Pei Qiang and Andy Lau as Tu Heng Yu were good. Nothing really stellar to write about except for Yu's creep factor. He was a creepy grieving scientist on the verge of maybe becoming the quintessential mad scientist.

The music partly made the music. It set the tone and provided suspense in scenes that wouldn't have had any otherwise. Re-watch is low, but I can see myself re-watching scenes.

Over all, it's entertaining... enough. It's not a movie that I would tell people they had to see even if they saw the first one. If I heard someone saying they were going to watch the WE series, I'd advise them to watch chronologically and watch 2 before 1, especially since 2 is more story driven while 1 is almost non-stop action.

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