Cheer
The Morgue
Now, let’s leave my proud self aside and talk about the drama. This is the original root of both “Love Me Not” and “That Winter the Wind Blows”; the Korean film and drama are remade from this Ai Nante Iranai Yo Natsu. I always had this drama under my radar ever since I first saw the film few years back but the lack of subtitles pushed me away, luckily I had enough courage to pick it up lately.
If I compare versions; I would undeniably state that the original Japanese version is the most realistic one but not fast paced as I thought it would be. However, the flowing of events was quite smooth that the drama felt very addictive. Although I should’ve watched this drama slower, because after all, I had to be extra focused on what they say but I just couldn’t slow down. It didn’t even matter that I already knew what will happen next (except for the ending of course because I knew it would be dissimilar one way or the other).
What also lacked in the Japanese version is the skin ship; there was lots of skin ship in the Korean remakes especially the drama but in here, it was almost absent. Many people would consider that disappointing, as for me; I found nothing wrong with that because the genuine feelings spoke better than touches in here. Also, this drama’s ending is way better than the ending of Love Me Not and That Winter the Wind Blows combined.
For those who aren’t familiar with the plot, this drama had an enjoyable atypical story. It could have gone a little astray at some points but it always managed to come back to its usual pace in no time. What also catches the eye about this drama is the sincerity of emotions displayed even if some melodramatic moments were a bit too exaggerated.
The acting was pretty enjoyable and believable. I am somewhat having Watabe Atsuro’s phase and I am glad to see one of his older dramas where he did a great job with the role. As for Hirosue Ryoko, I really like to see that actress around; she always manages to attract me in. The rest of the cast did a respectable job.
The characters felt very real. For instance, the way Reiji was portrayed was straightforward in an almost perfect manner; the way he talks, smokes, acts around other people is the core of how that character should be like. As for Ako, she was also quite good and she didn’t show unbalanced contradictions which I truly appreciated. The side characters were also good but I am sure some of them could have been better than that.
It’s a given that the Korean remakes were more beautiful than this when it comes to visuals especially the drama because that’s what Koreans do best: their remakes are always glowing with dreamy cinematography and sceneries but you should keep in mind that this was produced back in 2002. I also should mention that this drama was set in the summer while the Korean film and drama took winter as their set. It’s a bit insignificant but I found the winter background way more appealing than the summer setting.
Watch if:
-You liked any of the Korean versions because this is what started it all.
-You like the Japanese way of making melodramas/Life productions.
-You want to watch something different and enjoyable.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike remakes; just stick with the version that you already watched.
-You dislike life and melodramatic dramas.
-You want to watch a vividly shot drama.
Ai Nante Iranai Yo Natsu is a well-made drama with a nice topic that deserves to be watched even if its Korean remakes got all the attention. It’s a loss that many are prevented from watching this drama due to the lack of subtitles.
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Coming from the same director, producer, channel, screenwriter and the one and only genius novelist Ikeido Jun behind Hanzawa Naoki; you’re bound to expect striking similarities such as the general structure, the business related events, the suspenseful tries to get out of financial troubles, the directing techniques and even the acting style. To many viewers, this may seem like TBS’s desperate tries to follow the footsteps of last year’s mega-hit drama and even re-incarnate its successful ratings. However, Roosevelt Game was able to clearly distinguish itself. This is definitely not another Hanzawa Naoki so do not misjudge this as a copycat.
Roosevelt Game is driven by two main threads: Business management and Baseball. At first glance, you would wonder if those two different themes are able coexist. I had my careful doubts about that matter but colour me surprised! They weren’t only in perfect harmony but they were also smartly written to complement each other which gave the drama a strange yet a very solid balance. The fascinating part is that Aoshima Seisakujo followed similar policies in both company management and sports which made things even more connected and delightful to follow.
This drama excels at building the thrills, you will find yourself at the edge of your seat countless of times. Not to mention the “What the… What the heck was that?” moments. It’s no surprise since this comes from the brilliant novelist Ikeido who’s known of his thought-provoking corporate scripts. The reason why I came to favour the business genre is their highly intriguing scriptwriting and witty dialogues, that part wasn’t any different in here, I was completely satisfied with the financial suspense they built even if the outcome was somewhat predictable. The sports’ part was equally exciting; I never get that feeling unless I am watching a real game or a sports anime. To think that they got me rooting for them out loud is beyond belief.
Acting wise, I have nothing but praise. I never thought that a star-studded cast like this one can go wrong in any way. I was already fascinated by Karasawa Toshiaki in another business oriented drama “Fumo Chitai” and ever since then, I have huge respect towards him. Once again, he drew me to his fearsome ability of turning into an intense actor when his character demands him to. His character was smart, firm and penetrating. Egushi Yosuke’s performance was too mystic; the way his character was written didn’t allow him to show his body language like he’s used to. However, he held an important cryptic character that always attracted attention. Another main character was Kudo Asuka, a young talent that held the realms of the baseball team. He had one memorable performance despite his obvious inferiority to his older seniors mentioned above.
The rest of the cast members were quite fitting for the drama which is nothing out of line for a great business production like this one. Tezuka Toru and Kagawa Teryuki were the better supporting actors. The latter amazed me as usual although I really wished that his talent was exploited further than that. I think this drama is unique due to the human relationships the writer inserted between his characters. The heart-warming events don’t imply that this drama was set in the heartless word of economy and business. That’s definitely a plus point that distinguishes Roosevelt Game from its fellow business oriented productions.
The cinematography was dazzling, literally. The bright colours used for this drama added vivid feeling to the usual sombre business atmosphere. The directing was definitely too similar to Hanzawa Naoki with those famed close-ups and captivating angles. One more thing, that OST was definitely a master’s stroke. That instrumental music was such a perfect fit for this drama’s theme.
Watch if:
-You like highly intriguing dramas.
-You like business/corporate.
-You’re looking for something similar to Hanzawa Naoki but beware, this is definitely different.
-You like sports dramas because baseball was a major part.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike the business theme.
Roosevelt Game is by far, the better written and executed drama of 2014. It contains a daring yet a very successful combination of the merciless world of business and the exciting world of sports. It should be enjoyed for its own benefits. Do yourself a favour, don’t misinterpret this as another Hanzawa Naoki.
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Khun Chai Taratorn is the first part of the very popular Suparburoot Jutathep series. It’s somewhat an exclusive Thai way of making dramas where three, four or five plots are connected by a main thread. In this series’ case, it’s the story of the five noble brothers, set in the after-war times in Thailand.
The first part of the story started in a promising way, it gets extra credit because it introduced us the main characters, their relationships and the general atmosphere. The premise of the plot seemed interesting; antiques robbery, cross-dressing and so on. However, the writing didn’t manage to keep things captivating. I think that’s the main issue with most Thai lakorns, they usually have interesting topics and characters but they tend to mess things up in the middle and near the end.
I found too much Indecisiveness to tolerate. Many main characters kept avoiding the obvious for the longest time that’s why the lakorn could turn out to be a little boring. Of course, the bromance moments between the brothers surely kept my interest, the way they eavesdrop on each other or plot against each other just for fun was priceless. I believe that’s the main strength of this series.
This may have been the non-interesting brother as some may call it but I surely liked Chai Yai’s character, apart from his indecisiveness of course. He was calm, caring and well-worthy of the eldest brother’s title. The acting was, not bad is all I can say. As many of you would know, Thailand doesn’t contain the greatest actors out there but they can be good enough. Grate did well with the character, at least more convincing than Preem’s acting. You see, beside Grate and Pope (playing the first and the second brother) who are well-known actors from Channel 3, Jame, Bomb and James (playing the other brothers) are newbie actors who made their breakthrough with this series so they deserve encouragement.
The female department was nice; I especially liked the two grannies. The triangle was also good, at least there’s no evil second female lead that you would gladly throw in hell. She had your average next-door neighbour girl feel into her despite being in the noble class. She was also a great friend of the female lead (something you would rarely see in lakorns or in Asian dramas in general). It’s her two sisters that I am worried about when Chai Pat and Chai Pee’s stories come; they will be the obnoxious type for sure. The second male lead in this part was also very nice and no, he wasn’t friend-zoned since he never grew a crush on the female lead in the first place.
Watch if:
-You like Thai lakorns.
-You dislike slap/kiss lakorns and prefer the other genres.
-You like good chemistry.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for something great.
-You’re not familiar with Thai lakorns; I wouldn’t recommend this as your starting point.
-You’re very impatient for developments to happen.
Khun Chai Taratron love story wasn’t that great to be honest, but as usual the chemistry in Thai lakorns is something you’d gladly watch. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, hoping that the other brothers’ stories will be more interesting than this.
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Kurode Kanbe is an acknowledged figure of the Sengoku period –the most chaotic era of Japanese history. He came from a humble clan in Himeji Castle but he distinguished himself through his impressing battle tactics. I will stop here to not spoil those who are unfamiliar with the history of the main character.
This taiga drama illustrated the life of the historically-famous strategist. It wasn’t only a numeric retell of his life story. On the contrary, Gunshi Kanbei was more focused on the emotional side more than anything. Which implores that you will get to know the story without the clinical heavy/slow pacing.
Sengoku Jidai is known for its numerous battles, renowned generals, political clashes, lots of betrayals and utter turmoil. This drama didn’t only illustrate Kanbe’s personal battles but it also included all of the major events that occurred during his lifetime. And since he was close to several main figures of the era, Kuroda Kanbei found himself entangled in all of those continued wars. He was forced to make critical decisions and became a key character in the unification of Japan.
That aside, Kanbe’s familial life was also put in the spotlight. His relationship with his vassals, his wife and his offspring was vastly explored and beautifully dramatized. But the over-idolizing was probably a bummer. Kuroda Kanbei wasn’t exactly a selfless man like the screenwriting pictured him to be. He was known to be quite ambitious. They didn’t focus much on that side except near the end. But again this isn’t a documentary and the main historical points were left untouched.
As usual in Taiga dramas, the cast was relatively loaded. Okada Juichi was marvelous as Kanbe. He’s definitely a rare Johnny’s –an idol of high caliber. I am so glad I got to first meet him through this. Other cast members were pretty fitting. But the ones who stood out the most were Egushi Yosuke’s Oda Nobunaga (one of the best portrayals of the legendary character), the penetrating performance of Takenaka Naoto as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Nakatani as Kanbe’s wife, Tanihara Shosuke short yet amazing portrayal of Takenaka Hanbe and other remarkable talents like Tanaka, Kuroki, Uchida, Ikuta, Matsuzaka, Hamada, Tsurumi and Takahashi.
The directing was noticeably improved from previous taigas but it’s nowhere near perfect. The cinematography was catching. The sceneries and outfits were as usual historically accurate despite some insignificant flaws.
The smooth flowing of events in Gunshi Kanbei proves that this is an impeccable example of how taiga dramas are supposed to be.
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I really dislike the word “epic”, I believe it’s over-used and misunderstood by many but if I can call a film epic then Red Cliff must be one of the fewest that are allowed to have that description. I saw the DVD release of Red Cliff back in 2009 so I initially thought it was only one film but later on, I re-watched them separately and I am able to judge each production on its own.
Now, as a usual part for my historical productions’ reviewing, I must give history credit and allow the film to be put in its exact temporal and special frameworks. It’s because I am history’ lover that I can’t help but narrate some facts that happened in real life thousands of years ago, so let’s have a little round in history before reviewing the film itself. You can always skip this part if you find it boring.
The year is 200 A.D, the late Han Dynasty and the place is the famous China. Cao Cao (Prime minister of the Han Dynasty), the most cunning, evil and fierce man in the Chinese history took control over Northern China and made the emperor a puppet ruler but that wasn’t enough so he decided to embark an attack on Southern China’s ruler Lord Liu Bei who is known by his generous deeds and strong general followers. Cao Cao led a huge army of eight hundred thousand soldiers to conquer the south which forced Liu Bei to seek alliances with other Southern Lords, the young ruler Sun Quan and military expert Zhou Yu. In order to convince them, Liu Bei sent his prime advisor and the most impressive strategist in Chinese history Zhuge Liang to accomplish the mission.
Cao Cao’s enormous army is constituted with surrendered lords so there was no loyalty and thus he always feared betrayals, which makes him envious of Liu Bei’s side that’s full of great generals that aren’t only loyal but they’re also quite strong. However, no matter how great the generals are, they’re massively outnumbered by Cao Cao’s army so how can they overcome it? The answer can be found out either by reading history or watching the film because I would be spoiling things if I mention it but let me warn you that this film doesn’t exactly provide the entire answer.
Enough with history, the film itself was well done in a way that would let you get to know what happened even without searching it up. The storytelling may not have been flawless in any way but it did deliver what has to be told. John Woo is known for his badass action films and I do agree that they’re his strength point but there are other elements that people forget or refuse to notice about his works such as the characterization. John Woo is a master at building his characters by using the brotherhood and honor elements and he didn’t change his rule in this film; he only reduced the amount.
What this film excels at beside the stunning cinematography is the war techniques. We get to see John Woo's interpretation of Zhuge Liang's "ba-gua" strategy, the fighting abilities of each general and the amazing portrayals of several wars’ strategy although the major battles were saved for the sequel. The use of slow motions and the clever built up of battles and action is an extreme plus point for this film.
The acting was high-class. It’s really challenging to find good actors who can give the famous historical figures their right characters and what’s best than Tony Leung, Kaneshiro Takeshi, Chang Chen, Fengyi Zhang and several great HKC actors for the job? They did quite well with their characters but I’ve got to give Tony higher credit for the way he made Zhou Yu feel so firm just like the history describes him to be. It’s one of my favorite Tony’s roles up to date.
There’s also Takeshi who made Zhuge Liang, which is one of my favorite historical figures ever, feel so vivid but maybe a little more too humorous than he should be. To be honest, I thought Takeshi was too “pretty” for the role. I like the guy, I really do and I believe he’s a great actor but I wasn’t too confident to see Liang being portrayed by him. However, after watching this, I was proven wrong and my doubts went into thin air.
The women department in this film felt a little unnecessary but still fitting. I liked Vicki Zhao’s casting and role but I am afraid I can’t say the same about the first big screen’s appearance of Lin Chi Ling.
The music for this film was pretty suitable for the theme and the rewatch value is high because this is one of the greatest films’ that deserve to be reviewed.
Watch this if:
-You like Chinese history or you like to get to know it more.
-You like war films’ because this is one of the best.
-You like John Woo’s films.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike war films.
-You dislike any of the cast.
Red Cliff is surely one of the greatest war films ever made with the touch of Asian history and some Hollywood cinematic techniques delivered by the master john Woo in the most beautiful way ever.
This review is for the first part of Red Cliff and the second part is coming up next.
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There's nothing new under the sun, the film is about a Ronbin Hood-like gang who steals from the corrupted rich and gives to the helpless poor. Set in the twilight years of Joeson period, the film is a hybrid historical piece about martial arts, nobility and revenge. The plot takes its time to make the main character meet his destiny but the remaining space wasn’t wasted at all; the screenwriting always focused on the remaining characters and some colourful dialogues in between.
Kundo depicts a strong combination between the usual Asian melodrama and martial arts’ style. It was successful at portraying both flying fighting scenes as well as the characters’ feelings within. It also focused on inserting some pretty nice dark humour sequences without disregarding the serious melodramatic tone of the period piece. The over use of explanatory narration might come out wrong in few sequences. The screenwriting over-focused on some trivial side stories but it managed to come back into the right track soon enough.
Led by the overly charismatic Ha Jung Woo, the acting department was impressive. The main character had a very rough start that made him a part of the Kundo tribe, his journey was pretty much enjoyable and Jung Woo was too darn good at making it feel real – except the age part of course, there’s no way he looks 18 to 22 year-old.
On the other hand, Kang Dong Won was the freaking king of the action department in this film. Being used to swordsmanship due to his other period action films; he did the whole remarkable martial arts himself without resolving to stunts; that’s in itself is too wonderful for words. Other than that, he was amazingly good at playing the role of the dangerous villain. Of course, the back story provided to his character was extremely helpful at setting an unbreakable ground for what he has to portray. It’s been a long time since I last saw a very detailed back story of a villain; as if they’re making you think that any monstrous thing he does is legitimate.
Other actors were pretty good; they were fit to each character they played especially the Kundo group where Ma Dong Seok, Jo Jin Woong and Lee Kyeong Yeong are only few to mention.
Inspired by Kurosawa and Tarantino’s filmmaking, director Yun Jong Bin pulled off a memorable piece. His directing style was poignant with top notch technicalities. It’s a fact that visuals worked so well for this film, the lavishing designs and well-chosen colours were a great plus for this film’s cinematographic appeal. Even the polished sceneries, well-crafted aristocrats’ mansions and clothes were very well handled.
Watch if:
-You like dramatic period pieces with action.
-You like combination between Asian and western filmmaking.
-You like the main actors because Ha Jung Woo and Kang Dong Won were extremely good.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike historical pieces.
Despite some minor flaws, Kundo Age of Rampant is a very pleasant period film that’s well-worthy of the domestic success it witnessed upon its release.
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The Long Goodbye is another adaptation of the very popular Raymond Chandler’s novel. While watching this drama you would get the exact feeling of watching an old Hollywood noir film with all of those pitch-black moments and intriguing tension. However, that doesn’t deny the persistent existence of Japanese fingerprints such as post-war atmosphere and some elements that represent Japan alone.
This somewhat mini-drama depicts a long mystery, it’s not the type of murder that will keep you on your toes to know the truth but it’s certainly the type that creeps into you to give you a nice blow at the end. The suspense part wasn’t fully used but the mystery build-up and revelation were absolutely captivating. For some reason, this drama wasn’t slowly-sailing at all, you’d expect such a drama to become heavily gloomy at some point but it didn’t. Of course it wasn’t humorous either but the use of the dark aura came with moderation; the poisonous relationships, the filthy lies and the intolerable truth didn’t come in one blow. It was slowly building up until it was mature enough to be revealed.
The name of Asano Tadanobu as the main lead of this drama was enough to make me blindly watch this; it’s not only because he’s one of the greatest Japanese actors alive or because he’s one of my all-times favorite actors; it’s also because the man can choose his roles so well. He’s also films’ star so getting the chance to see him in a drama is one of the better news I read this year. Leaving that aside, his portrayal of Banji Masuzawa was consuming, although his character was silent and he couldn’t do much about it but he was able to make it perfectly charismatic and when he snaps; all you have to do is sit back and see how high-profile acting is supposed to be like.
Other actors for this drama were also amazing. First there’s Ayano Go; someone who slowly building his acting to reach greater levels; he was able to make his character quite appealing even with the little running time. Second, there’s the definition of Japanese beauty Koyuki; she was impressive in Aiko’s role, I had a difficult time comparing this to her previous “innocent” housewife roles. Finally, there’s Furuta Arata; man is a very-underrated Japanese veteran actor, he rarely got roles to shine in them but in The Long Goodbye, he was finally given justice.
The cinematography for this drama was quite catching; Japan in the 1950’s was brought to current days with glamour. As for the music, it was too perfectly-chosen to fit the drama’s developments and tension built up. Other than that, the narration must be the strongest point amongst side effects. Takito’s way of narrating was too intriguing to describe, not only his wonderful tone or use of words; but there’s also this artistic and vibrating meanings behind it.
Watch if:
-You’re looking for a different type of Japanese dramas.
-You like Raymond Chandler’s novel because this is a fine adaptation.
-You’re into dark, slowly-building types of mysteries.
-You like Asano (Duh!)
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for your standard Japanese detective drama.
-You can’t handle slow-sailing mysteries.
-You dislike noir dramas.
The Long Goodbye is an unusual Japanese detective drama that falls between noir and mystery. It may not be to everyone’s liking but it’s absolutely a drama that was able to distinguish itself from the crowd.
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Despite the mega huge cast and great premise, I was actually a bit reluctant about watching this film. South Korean films started to shine after the millennium so watching something prior to that date is very risky but considering Swiri’s year of production (1999), it was a pretty cool film about a very appealing theme: The North and the South. I tend to adore productions about that theme; they always leave meaningful messages behind. This one didn’t disappoint.
Being a thriller, Shiri handles some plot turns wisely while others were plain predictable. Many “twists” didn’t surprise me at all. I don’t know, maybe because this is 15 years old so smart screenwriting didn’t actually hit hard but it wasn’t very fun to predict many turns of the plot. It’s not that serious though, it didn’t prevent me from enjoying this film to the fullest. Being a film about the two Koreans gives it too much potential to hit many important elements. I hate reviewers who compare this to some Hollywood films; this handles a very personal issue about Korea so it has nothing to do with the US’s filmmaking.
The other side of the coin is action; there were some pretty cool action sequences although I clearly saw some imitation to Hong Kong’s heroic bloodshed genre. I find nothing wrong with that because it added a delicious flavour to the action making of Korean thrillers. It was a pretty violent film and very up to my taste; brutal and pleasant. However, Swiri is not all about action; there were many dramatic moments and even romantic ones. It contained a good variety of genres to enlighten the mood, even the politic parts weren’t any complicated. I like entangled political clashes especially with the Korean peninsula issue but I know that many would find that very boring to follow. Fortunately for them, the plot followed a very simple political approach.
The acting was A class with both big stars Han Seok Kyu and Choi Min Sik ahjussi’s leading the film in the most stylish way ever. Beside them was another big Korean star Song Kang Ho ahjussi who succeeded in playing a supporting yet a well-crafter role. The characters weren’t that deep to be frank, they’re your usual action films’ leaders with great shooting skills and some intelligence to keep them going. But they didn’t feel shallow either, they had some interesting personal traits that made them feel memorable.
The cinematography was actually pretty good for a 1999 film. The explosions were alright but some of them felt completely fake, I can be lenient toward that because the director handled his camera angles and action scenes in a satisfying way.
Watch if:
-You like Korean thrillers because this is one of the films that started it all.
-You like Action thrillers.
-You like films about North and South Korea.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike Action thrillers.
Shiri is a remarkable Korean thriller considering its production year. It has potential to bring you immense entertainment if you appreciate recent Korean Action-Thrillers.
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Kiyosu Kaigi depicts the power struggle after the death of Oda Nobunaga - the first feudal lord that attempted to unite Japan. Upon his sudden death, two of his most powerful retainers Shibata Katsuie and Saru Hideyoshi started a cold yet an exciting war by siding with one of Nobunaga’s legitimate successors. Until this far, the film may seem like another political clashing plot about the Sengoku period. At the matter of fact, it’s absolutely is! Kiyosu Kaigi is all about the power struggle to reach the top of Japan with each character having its own agenda and secret motives to proceed with. However, that’s not what this film is all about.
In the midst of such a complicated plot within the most serious time of Japanese history; this film takes the comedy turn. Yes, you didn’t read that wrong; this film was overwhelming with hilarious sense of humour to make it lighter and even more enjoyable. You get to see prestigious daimyo lords fighting and wrestling like little children. You also get to witness a candidate successor act like an adorable dork. All of that was mixed with many funny dialogues and “hugs” between famous lords. A history lover as myself never imagined to see those amazing generals acting so silly. But all of that use of humour didn’t drift the film from its original purpose.
The director was able to portray the message he made this film for. Amongst all of those laughing and political struggles, the film managed to deliver an interesting take about Japan in those ancient times. It was quite fascinating to watch the flowing of each event, each character and each hint until it reaches a very stimulating ending. The comic relief and the partial use of parodies was only a way to prevent this film from becoming heavy. It also participates in keeping the somewhat long ride (almost two hours and a half) amusing.
Now the acting; Kiyosu Kaigi is star studded, starting with the veteran and the acknowledged Yakusho Koji; you’re bound to expect a wonderful acting level. Then comes Oizumi Yo with a marvellous performance as Saru (The Monkey). His character was really monkey-like at many turns but his inner philosophy and beliefs still managed to shine in times of need. As if Yakusho and Oizumi weren’t enough to keep this film standing tall; they were supported by other enormous acting talents. All you have to do is entertain your eyes with stunning acting performances from the penetrating Asano, the veteran existence of Kohinata Fumiyo, Sato Koichi, Terajima Susumu and Denden with the young talents of Tsumabuki, Matsuyama and Iseya until you reach the very intriguing female department mainly composed of Nakatani and Suzuki.
The characters were complicated, each of them possessed its own perspective and they would do anything to defend it. The relationships between them were even more complex than the characters themselves. You can always sense that something is going to happen any second due to the tension between most of them.
The directing was pretty darn good! The camera angles, the cinematography and especially the scenery were very involving and beautiful-looking.
Watch this:
-You like historical/samurai Japanese films.
-You like to watch a different type of periodic films.
-You like comedy mixed with serious telling.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not interested in historical Japanese film.
Kiyosu Kaigi is a different type of historical pieces. It manages to make a sombre and difficult historical telling sound so pleasant by throwing pits of comedy relief on the sides.
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Usually, Korean gangster movies are either a hit or a miss for me depending on how well the execution and the storytelling are done. Nameless Gangster managed to get the good points out of the general theme.
This movie is set in the 90’s Pusan when Korean government announced war on organized crime. The gangster world got shaken in a way that threatened its existence but that’s not the main focus of this movie. It takes us back in time to tell the story of two gangsters and the struggles they encountered to reach the top. This is a story about a wannabe gangster and a hot shot gang leader that deals with loyalty, betrayal, gangsters’ codes of honor and clashes in the underworld where those two individuals tried to co-exist like a united soul: One is the muscles and the other is the brain. However, creating harmony in the gangster life is almost impossible.
While the story of the movie isn’t exactly exceptional or flawless by any mean; the acting was. I am sure that I would’ve not liked this the same if there was a different set of cast. Choi Min Sik is the lord of Korean cinema when it comes to versatility and flawless roles’ portrayal and his “gangster-like” character was quite hateful in a loveable way. Ha Jung Woo on the other hand is climbing way too fast on the top of my favorite young Korean movies’ stars. He’s creating a shiny name for himself whether by the roles he accepts or the way he makes them feel so attractive. At this rate, I am sure he will become another lord of Korean cinema soon. In this movie, Jung Woo was so fitting for the “gangster aura”; he did so well with the process of his character’s development.
The other set of cast were also well-chosen even if some characters felt a little unbalanced for the setting.
I’ve got to give some credit for the cinematography since it was well fitting for the gangster mood. The music was also quite good.
Watch this if:
-You like gangster movies.
-You’re in the mood for something different and dark.
-You like Choi Min Sik, Ha Jung Woo or both because they were great in this.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not into crime/gangster movies.
-You’re not a fan of the main cast.
Nameless Gangster is a movie about survival, friendship and loyalty in the underground gangster world from the viewpoint of a wannabe gangster and a proclaimed gang leader portrayed by two of the best actors in Korean cinema.
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This season, just like the first one, had witty writing and strong characterization (something that’s lacking from many Korean dramas) which made it very appealing. The thrilling events never disappeared and the captivating action was always there.
This season’s cases were more complicated and very difficult to predict. Although that was very good on the mysterious/suspense level; it felt a bit slow at the thriller/action level, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that the cases were boring because that’s not true but there were some slow cases and sometimes over dramatic ones.
In this season, I also disliked the near absence of outside-cases interaction between the main characters unlike the first season that held many side conversations between them. Except the two firsts and the two last episodes; we only got 30 seconds to one minute at the end of each episode which wasn’t enough to deliver a proper conversation and made me want more.
This is still an amazing detective drama; one of the best dramas produced in Korea even if it doesn’t get the appropriate attention. So basically, if you liked the first season, this one is a must watch.
One thing to add: The first season’s ending was way better than the second but it’s still exciting. I will be impatiently waiting for the third season.
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Khun Chai Rachanon is the fourth part of the Suparburoot Juthatep’s series. It had a different approach than the other three parts. Chai Lek and Chai Pee are my two favourite brothers so I was certainly looking forward to the last two stories but that’s not all. Beside the fact that Chai Lek was player and a fun character to follow; the written plot for his part was without doubt better than his three elder brothers.
Chai Lek isn’t a heavy player like Chai Pee; he’s also not sneaky as the youngest brother but he can be very sarcastic and warm in need. The fourth part stirred an interesting turn of events; another kingdom, crown prince-search and a contract marriage within. Although the last idea may seem too repetitive since it was used in Chai Pat’s story but this one was entirely different. There weren’t too much love story going on here since the plot concentrated on the Viangphukham kingdom problems and some birth secrets (that were plain obvious) here and there.
Chai Lek’s character couldn’t shine as much as his brothers’ characters in their stories; maybe that’s due to the packed characters and events. Of course, he stopped being a player and started falling in love but that part wasn’t well-illustrated. There should’ve been more characters’ developments than that.
The acting was okay, Bomb wasn’t that great of an actor to be honest but it was acceptable as your average Thai lakorns’ acting. Taew was better though, she had this way of making her character believable and enjoyable to follow. The chemistry was cool but slow-sailing, it took me some time to connect to their couple. As I mentioned above, this part was packed with many characters and thus we had a nice side love story and some good characters here and there. However, none of them is that memorable.
The bromance in this part was present with strength, the five brothers cared for each other and they were united to fight for a common cause. Although the action was lame as your standard Thai lakorns but the five lions of Juthatep can be quite badasses when the duty calls.
Watch if:
-You liked the previous three stories.
-You like adventurous lakorns.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for an excellent lakorn.
-You’re looking for a gripping love story.
Khun Chai Rachanon is the better executed part thus far but it doesn’t mean it was excellent by any chance. Now, I am certainly looking forward to the last brother and my favourite player of the bunch; Khun Chai Ronnapee.
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I usually agree with Japanese ratings because they’re generally objective and I frequently disagree with international ratings because they’re often biased. This time around, I disagree with both of them; this drama doesn’t deserve the low ratings at all.
Kurokouchi isn’t your typical detective drama with an investigation hero or some genius scientist in it. How is it different? For starters, this is not an episodic drama where each episode they solve a case then move to the other one; Kurokouchi takes the 45 year-old 300 Million-Yen robbery case from a different angle. It’s notable to mention that the 300 Million-Yen case is a real robbery that took place in Japan back in 1968 and remains unsolved until today. The storyline is the writer (the mangaka’s Koji Kono and Takashi Nagasaki)’s hypothesis about what actually happened.
This drama is more of a crime mystery thriller than a detective drama; there are too many dark moments going on that differentiate Kurokouchi from any other detective drama. Of course, this remains as an investigation plot with a police department and detectives but there’s more than that to the storyline. It goes into depth of thrilling events with unexpected turns that make you eager to know what will happen next. The variety of developments and side stories that are always connected to the main robbery are a major strength point that counts for this drama.
The acting was pretty good. The performance by Nagase and Watabe Atsuro were quite remarkable; it’s been a long time since I haven’t seen them in anything that I forget how great they can be at portraying their characters. As for Gouriki, I will leave it at “Passable”; I think the main problem that people are finding with Ayame is her repetitive appearance on TV dramas and her lack of roles’ diversity. I didn’t hate her acting but I despised her character, she was a waste a space and a typical prey of “female dumb police partner” personality who knows nothing but asking stupid questions and lurking around for nothing. I wish that Japanese would change some of their female detectives’ characters. It’s about time that we get some strong, hardcore female investigators in the police department.
As for the male lead; this drama displays an anti-hero, a police officer who’s nothing like any other detective you saw before. He’s someone who affiliates with corrupted politicians, someone that you can never predict what he will do next. Kurokouchi always manages to surprise us with his choices and unexpected revelations. What also makes the character quite fascinating is its dark humor; it’s quite likeable even if it sounds hateful. On the other hand, there’s Sawatari: a manipulative silent character who always smiles no matter what. I happen to like those types of characters so I grew an ultimate liking to his way of thinking and it didn’t even matter that he was an evil figure in the drama.
Other characters were pretty well written to suit the diversity of crime stories and side events that always occurred in this drama. However, some of them weren't quite good and I still can't get over the sudden disappearance of a certain character.
In a line, the music suited the drama’s detective theme in a good way.
As usual, the rewatch value is always low for suspense twisty dramas that lose their factor of surprise once rewatched.
Watch this if:
-You enjoy non-episodic detective dramas.
-You like real stories but remember that this is only based on a hypothesis.
-You’re in the mood for a Japanese Crime/Thriller.
-You happen to like Nagase Tomoya.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not interested in detective dramas.
-You dislike Nagase Tomoya.
Kurkouchi ‘s definitely one of the best produced Detective dramas this year even if it’s underrated both nationally and internationally.
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The Monkey King 1: Havoc In Heaven's Palace
22 people found this review helpful
Adapted from the mega huge Chinese novel “Journey to the West”, this film actually followed the original novel very closely. The novel is in fact one of the fewest Chinese novels I read many years back when I was watching few other adaptations of it. This version is absolutely the closest and the most accurate one.
The film was full of several eye-catching characters, events and costumes. I know, I know; the CGI is what bothered many people about this film. Well, as long as you’re not here to watch “The Lord of the Ring” then it should be alright. It’s true that the special effects were overdone with many misses here and there but having watched several Wuxia films with immense use of CGI in my cinema watching, this doesn’t bother me at all. Actually, I considered it a cool experience with that enormous amount of CGI and wires inserted everywhere. For a normal viewer who’s not familiar with the Chinese/Hong Kong way of using CGI in their productions, it may cause a problem but as long as you’re willing to keep your mind open and accept unfamiliar styles then everything will be satisfactory after a while.
The plot wasn’t very smooth just like it wasn’t heavy either. This is a fantasy so there weren’t any traditional plot elements to follow; it was catching and involving at many phases just like other parts didn’t feel right, rushed or very slow. I am still thankful that they followed Wu Cheng En's classic very closely or I would’ve went very harsh on this Monkey King adaptation.
The acting department was full of huge names in HKC cinema. I have a little confession to make; I was actually reluctant about Donnie’s portrayal of the monkey king. When they first announced the film; I was confident that Jet Li will get to play the Monkey king again since he did a wonderful job with it before but he didn’t get the role. Donnie was casted instead and I was a bit worried. I love Donnie and I consider him one of the better HKC stars but I felt like Sun Wukong’s character doesn’t suit his acting style. Needless to say, I was proved wrong through this film. He did an amazing job with the character to make it feel very believable.
On his side were the marvelous Chow Yun Fat and the cool Aaaron Kwok in main roles. They were pretty much convincing and entertaining to watch. The remaining cast did a cool job including Peter Ho, Kelly Chen and few others. Some characters felt all over the place but it wasn’t unforgivable.
There’s isn’t much scenery to talk about since CGI were the film’s heart and soul. I don’t necessarily consider it a bad thing even though I am the type of person who heavily concentrates on cinematography while watching films. The musical note was pretty much forgettable, I don’t recall anything after finishing the film so yeah, and there you have it.
Watch if:
-You like HKC Wuxia productions.
-You like the classic novels of the Journey to the West because this is the closest adaptation.
-You like Donnie because he does a cool job with the Monkey King’s character here.
Do not watch if:
-You’re expecting a CGI level like in Hollywood film.
-You’re looking for something serious.
-You’re looking for something impressive.
The Monkey King took four long years of production to be finally brought to life this year. That alone deserves giving this film a go. Just try to open your horizons and think of this as an entertaining journey, because that’s the only way to appreciate this film.
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I watch older Jdramas (1996-2002) from time to time and I usually enjoy them but this time around, I was a little displeased. Nisennen no Koi is listed under the genre “romance” and it’s indeed a romantic drama but that wasn’t exactly the main focus here. There was a promising chemistry that could have been better handled, there are some good romantic elements but everything took forever to happen and the exaggerated focus on side plots ruined many interesting events.
This also contains the “Spy” theme but as expected, it wasn’t very well executed either. At some point, the screenwriters went on circles repeating similar events that we all know what the outcome will be. That leads us to another negative point about the plot; almost everything was very predictable including the ending. And what makes the matter worse are the irritating side plots that serve for nothing except for the running time. Now, if I have to mention some good things about the screenwriting, I will solely give credit to the concept; the story as a whole was attention-grabbing but the execution ruined a potential great watch.
The acting was good enough. Takeshi is a films’ star but he made three dramas in his career and all of them were Japanese. Although I still believe that his acting is well-suited for the big screen and that he’s better off as a films’ star; I still loved to see him in a drama role and man does he sound so great speaking Japanese! His co-star Nakayama Miho is a good older J-actress that I like to see her around, romance dramas fit her acting on a great level.
The characters were likeable but they were too obvious if I may say. The male lead was a little better though because Mashiro (the female lead) was such a boring predictable character from any angle you look at her. The rest of the characters didn’t raise any interest except for the Saeki, the smart police officer but that little attention I gave to his character disappeared with time when I noticed that he became dumb.
This was made back in 2000 so don’t expect any dreamy cinematography; I know that many people dislike watching older dramas. The soundtrack, on the other hand, fulfilled its purpose in a good way.
Watch if:
-You like older dramas.
-You’re looking for a different type of romance.
-You like the main leads.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for gripping romance.
-You dislike older dramas.
Nisennen no Koi had great concept but the execution and the storytelling ruined any chances to make it remarkable or even memorable drama.
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