When nothing seems to go right, that is probably when God gives you a vacation

As a die-hard romance drama fan, this is one in the few drama makes it to my list of all time favorite dramas ever.
There is no big plot twist, no cliche drama, no intricate conflict or tragedy but a very original and engaging romance that is healing and heart-warming between the two main characters when they go through a challenging time in life together.
It started when 30years-old Minami, miserable and broke after being left behind by her groom on her very wedding day, has no choice but to start sharing the same house with Sena, a shy 24 years old piano majored graduate who is at a crossroad pondering over his uncertain future as a pianist. Cheerful, easygoing, earnest and outspoken, Minami often finds herself being belittled at first by Sena, who is sensible, but shy and restrained. A seemingly impossible romance began to brew when they slowly found solace in each other’s companion to overcome their low time and find their own answers and happiness for future. The plot is simple, the story feels very real, nothing too dramatic but still incredibly engaging and enchanting.
I love all the characters here, from supporting to the leads. A boyish, shy but very manly Sena, a cheerful, outspoken but always acting strong and mature Minami, a naive but brave and earnest Ryoko, a seeming playboy but sincere at heart Shinji, a dependent but loving Rumiko; a seemingly slow but unexpectedly sharp when it comes to romance Momoko; and a mature and sensible Sugiyama; all are very well-built and their interaction and conversations attract viewers and add depth to the story.
The drama is quite fast paced and engaging as a whole with beautiful and unforgettable soundtracks to enhance emotional scenes.
The opening theme is definitely one of my fav song. Needless to say, the casts, especially the ML and FL delivered splendid performance. I think I started to watch Kimura Takuya drama because of his impressive acting here.

I first watched the drama in my early 20s and immediately fell in love with it. But it was just a good romance drama for me then. I had chance to watch it again before turning 30, just around the same age as the female character. That was when the drama hit me hard as I can resonate deeper with Minami and came to understand why the characters acted that way.

Though it was released in 1996, the drama withstands the test of time as it continues to prove its position as one of the most favorite drama to viewers in Japan and Asia in general.
If you are looking for a light-hearted romance drama or a healing drama, do give it a try :)

Read More

Old packaging would still be surprisingly good if done the right way!

My first movie review here and I only want to write one to explain roughly about the representation of Godzilla here in Japan society.
Firstly, I’m not a fan of Godzilla, nor a fan of monster or disaster movie but this movie is surprisingly engaging and enjoyable even for me thanks to the brilliant story built by the characters.
Well, the story is nothing new: the fateful encounter of a guilt-ridden deserter and a war survivor in Japan post WWII, where people faced death, poverty and famine day by day unable to think much about future. They came together to make a sort of “family” of their own just to encounter the disaster brought on by the appearance of Godzilla. Facing farewell and loss, the main character decided to join the fight against the monster and through the fierce battle, he made peace with his own conscience, survived despite the odds.
The setting in Japan post WWII helps to create a perfect background for the emotional and touching story of the characters. And this story sets it apart from other Godzilla movie I’ve watched before and makes it easy to build a heroic theme for the characters in the movie.
The visual is fantastic deserving all the hype for winning the Oscar for visual effect.
I believe there are many layers of meaning embedded into the Godzilla itself, one of which is a disaster created by mankind (just like nuclear power), and the fight against it represents human helplessness in countering our own creation when it goes out of control.
If you are familiar with Japan society, the Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 shakes one of Japan biggest nuclear power plant it almost sent Tokyo and the whole country into a nuclear disaster. Prior to the Earthquake, the nuclear plant was believed to be considerably safe with proper contingency plant in the event of earthquake; but it was apparently not prepared enough for such strong earthquake as at that time, making it almost impossible to shut down the plant, which might have lead to a nuclear explosion, the worst nightmare the world can ever imagine. In the end Japan barely made it through by sheer luck. Still, it is still one of the worst nightmare for Japanese and the fear and helplessness it instilled in people then was something stigmatized and unforgettable.
Even to date, many areas surrounding Fukushima nuclear plant is still restricted due to high nuclear radiation index, making many natives unable to return to their homeland.
So I believe this movie also serves as a reminder of the lurking danger of nuclear power in Japan and in the world we live in.

Lastly, the cast performance is good overall, especially the male lead even though I’m not a fan of him.

I’m not sure about rewatch value but it certainly is a good watch 😊

Read More

Ultimately an exciting and soulful adventure fueled by passion and the thirst for conquering!

With the same title “Ride now” as his previous Vlog adventure, the show has evolved and gone beyond his favorite cycling activities into leisure activities that Wu Lei enjoys in general. And the destination for this time is Vanuatu, a small island northern of Australia, where the world most accessible active volcanoes are located. It is some of the very few places in the world where human can watch and experience firsthand erupting volcanoes within safe distance.
Though independently produced by his studio, one can expect a small-scaled traveling reality show here with beautiful overhead long shots and vibrantly vivid colors of the nature including spectacle images and sound from the erupting volcanoes, the deep blue sea, sunrise beaches and so on. The trip is divided into 2 episodes. Episode 1 provides the common tourist experiences like shopping and strolling around the local market through Wu Lei’s eyes, showering us with the actor’s child-like joy and excitement; while the later part brought us some radically gorgeous images from the active volcanoes with insights into his choice to travel here. The short and succinct narration unveils and explains where his passion for volcanoes originates from.
Episode 2 is about his stay on the islands and his scuba-diving challenge to conquer his fear of the deep sea. Thanks to this ép, I got to know about one of the 5 under-water posts in the world that actually sends postcards from the sea!

Overall, the show is highly entertaining and engaging. One will be infected with his joy and excitement exploring a more dangerous traveling destination. With beautiful shots, hilarious editing and comment, compelling narration, mood-setting music and satisfying length, the show proves its content worthy and entertaining value! Not less than any professional reality shows imo.
To be honest, I was quite impressed by the volcanoes and the narration about it. One can feel the authenticity of his passion and his thoughtful& contemplating nature under his enthusiastic outlook through this show.

Read More

A poignantly beautiful tale that keeps us pondering over

As many review here, I find it hard to write about the movie without spoiling the viewer and fail to describe how beautifully the movie is done.
It is best to not read any review at all before watching the movie to let your mind work the miracle.
In essence, the movie is about a tale of self-discovery of 2boys growing up being told in different perspectives of people closest to them. With each perspective being told, more details are provided for the viewers to conjugate the real story of what actually happens.
As other Koreeda's work, the movie would leave you in daze and linger for some time as viewers cant help but keep contemplating and pondering over the ending, the characters and the message of the movie.
Koreeda is truly a master of story telling and building emotion through a seemingly uneventful narration and seemingly “normal” characters. Still, one can always feel his effort in avoiding to force a conclusive ending and closing of the story, as if to maintain his neutral stand and to respect viewers’ interpretation of the tale. That is another thing I admire of Koreeda as it is incredibly hard for a director to avoid forcing his own view of the story without making it illogical and incomprehensible. One also feels his love for human as he refrains from condemning any character in the story.
By unveiling the story through different perspectives here, perhaps Koreeda wants to remind us again that there is always 2 sides of the story; and we should not jump to conclusion with our own prejudice and limited experience in this modern era where everyone is ready to attack others through the use of sns without properly contemplating over the event. How our interpretation of a story can go very wrong with misleading fabrication and gossips. And how we might have hurt others by our own prejudices and judgment built by societal norms of “normal”.
Who is the monster here but us human, flawed and frightened, traumatized by our own societal norms and interpretation.

Read More