Favorites Dramas and Movies Watched in 2022

Great directing and cinematography that is always in the service of the story and the mood it wants to convey. Top-notch acting and writing as well.

I loved how the main character seems like this posh, lethargic woman in the beginning, but then gradually reveals herself as someone with quiet strength and dignity and tenacity.

I imagine the central "mystery" with the master painter and his apprentice might come across as anti-climactic for some people, but I personally didn't mind it at all because I still found it believable in the context of the story.

Episodic comedy drama about issues in the workplace, especially those faced by women, that is less preachy than a lot of similar dramas, because the main character isn't imbued with uncommonly strong sense of justice; it's just that she's very naive. Maririn is a character that can easily come across as dumb and annoying in the hands of a less adept actor, but Imada Mio makes her naivety believable (and rather lovable)--no mean feat.

Set in its entirety in the titular saloon, which is a character unto itself, this movie feels like it's made with one continuous shot (although I don't know if it really was the case), and the effect is like watching a stage play in real time. For an observational human drama, there's barely any lull--something is always happening.

And since the saloon is a microcosm of post-war Japan, you get to see various people, each with their differing perspective, co-mingling in the same space. So you'd have an elderly painter still wracked by guilt for his part in Japan's wartime propaganda effort, sitting just a stone's throw from a couple of vets ranting about how the country's gone to the dogs; or a tableful of bright-eyed young students, waited on by a waitress their age who struggles to support her family.

Very unsettling. (Fantastic incorporation of Noh chanting to enhance its creepy factor, I think.)
Visually beautiful, with a simple story, while the acting (especially Wakayama's) leans into theatricality at times, but I'd say it is perfect for the movie.

Watching this movie is like getting a primer on 20th century  -isms, played out as a national tragedy within a family. Yang Yong-hee clearly loves her family very much, but what's also obvious is her resentment towards her parents, her father in particular, for their decision to send their three sons to North Korea. A touching but heartbreaking family portrait. Highly recommended if you're interested in its subject matter.

Understated, quietly heartbreaking, and gently hopeful.

The characters are basically what you'd call internal economic migrants (and all that entails). And while they do face real hardships in their journey across Japan, I never felt like the director tried to milk the viewers' tears for all it's worth--which I guess speaks of Yamada Yoji caliber as a filmmaker, and perhaps also of his belief in the story and his actors. It is always sympathetic, but never maudlin.

Very weird stuff. I liked this but it's hard to recommend. I think you're either going to love it or hate it. It's not wholesome and charming; it doesn't try to criticize or deconstruct anything; it doesn't have the artsy sensibilities found in some of these weird movies.

I have a thing for dilapidated buildings, so I'm very much the target market for this drama.

Old-school romance. I loved how they both influence each other to be a better version of themselves. It has Pining™️, which is my favorite trope in the whole world.

Melodramatic and artsy. Everyone is crazy but their craziness is strangely believable. Very funny, too.

Odd couple with peak bromance.

I'm still not quite sure what "well-directed" means, but surely this movie is it? It's in widescreen, but Fukasaku used a lot of close-ups and shots from low angle, making it feel claustrophobic. And when the main character is out and about, the camera often follows him closely, in the thick of it, emphasizing his confusion. It's a film-making that is in service of the story, and I appreciated it.

Marriage plot with low-key depressing ending. It is not without optimism, though. The two sisters might've lost their illusions, but happiness is still within their reach.