Yin Yang Master It Is Not

Onmyouji or The Yin Yang Master: Zero is the latest Japanese live action adaptation of the popular game, Onmyouji. This IP has had many movie and anime adaptations over the years, three of which are Japanese films, including this one, an anime series, and three Chinese movies. As a non-fan of this franchise, I would say that this standalone film is watchable only to a certain extent. It is weird and draggy as hell! I had to watch this in installments because I kept dozing off and I always kept trying to remember what the plot was about.

The story? I don't know. Is there one? It just follows a gifted apprentice who is incredibly rude and full of himself. His parents were killed and he's looking to avenge their deaths. He meets a nobleman who befriends him and together they solve supernatural cases. The world is explained in a long narration in the beginning and their skills and techniques are conveniently explained through lectures given by teachers of these apprentices. And yet, they start showing off seemingly magical powers that come out of nowhere, so you begin to doubt whether you actually understood the explanation on how things work in this world. It has this dreamlike quality to it that makes you think that maybe you're hallucinating from an acid trip. But you're so confused that you just don't care anymore and fall asleep. That's what this is. Seriously, this is better off as a drama instead of a movie. Then maybe they could've done a more decent job at the world building aspect.

The acting is theatrical. In other words, it's bad. Yamazaki Kento is miscast once again. His portrayal of the lead role is exactly the same as his L in the live action drama adaptation of Death Note. At this point, I think he's just phoning in his performances. Oh well, at least he's only half bad here, not as horrible as his version of L. The rest of the cast all act as if they're in a stage play. Cheesy AF! The music? Pretty much non-existent because I didn't notice it at all. The visuals are decent but that's the only saving grace of this movie. I can tell they shot the vast majority of scenes in front of green screens, though.

All in all, this is not a good movie. If I were a fan of the games, then maybe I could've appreciated it more. But it's just badly written, acted, and produced. It's definitely one of those live action adaptations that should never have been made.

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A Worthy Remake

I have slept on Taiwanese dramas and movies for far too long! This movie is a remake of the 2010 Korean film, which I didn't see, so I have no basis of comparison. I'm glad I didn't watch that movie, though otherwise I would've been spoiled by the ending. Hello Ghost is basically Robert Downey Jr.'s 1993 film, Heart and Souls, but with a lot more heart and soul. Yes, the original is made in Korea but the Korean version is no doubt heavily inspired by Heart and Souls.

It's a story about family, companionship, and the need for human connection. Anyone who has ever suffered from depression, contemplated suicide, and lived through the loss of a loved one could very much relate to this story. It follows a lonely young man, Chen Wei, who tries to end his miserable life countless times, but fails each time. One day, he finally succeeds in dying but is saved by a do-gooder paramedic. He comes back from the dead with the ability to see ghosts. Four ghosts start to accompany him, asking for favors and surprisingly, giving him good advice. As he spends more time with them, he starts to see them more as family instead of a nuissance. He receives guidance from them and he starts to feel a lot less lonely than before.

This is a very wholesome family-oriented film with so much heart, life lessons, and quotable quotes. It has laugh-out-loud moments as well as dramatic scenes that would have you reach out for tissues. His relationships with the ghosts and the paramedic who saves him from dying are the focal points of this story. And the twist at the end had me crying my eyes out. If you love movies like How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, then this is for you.

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A Love Story For The Ages

Your Name Engraved Herein is a poignant love story about two teenage boys set in Taiwan just right after the martial law is lifted. It is also a coming of age story that delves deep into teenage homosexuality and the struggles that come with having to deal with societal expectations and public judgement.

Birdy and Chang Jia Han are high school best friends who fall deeply in love with each other but have to keep their love hidden because homosexuality is not socially accepted and is even, in fact, seen as a sin. Both boys go to a Catholic school, so homophobia is rampant.

I'm not gonna lie, this movie made me cry. I shed tears for both boys because I knew they truly loved each other, and in a perfect world, they could've been happy. But since it was 1987 and Taiwan was a military-run state then, their homosexuality was considered a disease that must be cured or corrected. Their love was over before it could even start. They are forced to go on their separate ways and even try to fit into the social norms.

Tseng Jing Hua and Edward Chen both give powerful performances in this movie. They did remarkably well in portraying two troubled young boys who long to be together but can't because it just isn't possible, the political climate and society just won't allow them.

Fortunately, they reunite many years later and they are given another shot at happiness, and that's where the movie ends. I firmly believe that they would've rekindled their relationship and start anew. I so badly want them to finally be together, they certainly deserve it.

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A Poignant and Relatable Family Drama

I can only describe this movie in one word - tearjerker. I cried buckets watching this darn movie! I knew this movie garnered several awards and was hailed as one of the best movies of the year. But even so, I was still taken aback by how good it actually is. It is one of those movies that catches you off-guard because you'd think it's tragic and depressing, but it's actually a very wholesome and feel-good family film. Yes, it's heartwrenching and it'll make you weep, but it'll also stir up fond memories of your childhood and the precious time you shared with your familial relations - especially those who have passed away - whether you liked them or not.

It reminded me so much of my own grandmother and her last days. She, too, had cancer and passed away in our home under our care. Like the grandma in this movie, she left us a legacy that we cannot quite live up to, and to this day, I ask myself if we're even worthy of what she left us.

I started out disliking the main character M because he appeared to be the typical overprivileged Gen Z bum who expects everything to be handed to him on a silver platter. But as the story progresses, you see this significant change in his attitude towards life and his own family. Talk about great character development! By the end of the film, I empathized with him and I was totally on his corner.

What really made me cry was the angle about favoritism among children because I could definitely relate to that. The caretakers are often the ones taken for granted and least appreciated. I felt that because I was that caretaker and I have always felt that I was my mother's least favorite child. It is also a deeply provocative film that made me think about growing older and where I will end up. It reminded me a bit of that Japanese film I saw last year, Plan 75. It made me feel depressed. But it also made me want to prepare for my future and retirement because being old and alone is scary.

This is such an amazing film that pays tribute to the very idea of family. There are no perfect families, no perfect parents, and no perfect children. But we all do our best to love and care for each other the only way we know how.

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The Best and Most Grounded Rurouni Kenshin Film

Among all the Rurouni Kenshin live action movies, The Beginning is hands down my favorite. Unlike its predecessors that are pretty much just live action depictions of the anime and manga, this one is dark, bloody, brutal, mature, and a lot closer to the samurai movies of old than its anime/manga counterpart.

The movie opens in a bloodbath, with an almost unrecognizable Himura Kenshin slashing through his victims like a rabid animal and leaving pools of blood in his wake, much like Ryunosuke leaving piles of corpses behind in The Sword of Doom. Anime-watchers only may be shocked to see this side of their beloved wanderer, but the events that transpire in this film would help them understand the man behind the monicker Hitokiri Battousai and his motivations. This movie is basically a deeper look into the character that is Himura Kenshin, his violent past, his first love, and the ideals that shaped the man that he would become at the start of the Rurouni Kenshin series. But this is also Tomoe's story, the woman who changed the life of a young and impressionable samurai, and turned him from a killer into a protector.

Yukishiro Tomoe is probably one of the most complex characters in Watsuki's manga series but she has been misunderstood, criticized, and even vilified by Kenshin-Kaoru shippers. The manga doesn't delve deep into her psyche and the OVA Trust and Betrayal only managed to scratch the surface, so I'm glad that this live action version somehow shows her true intentions and feelings. I had my doubts with Arimura Kasumi's casting as I used to think that she has the emotional range of a cardboard. But she actually surprised me by her on-point portrayal of Tomoe, from the subtle facial expressions to her deadpan delivery of her dialogues. Tomoe is an introvert who has trouble expressing her emotions. She can be painfully blunt without sounding antagonistic or argumentative. Kasumi got those down to a tee. In fact, it's not her that I have a problem with surprisingly, but I'll get to that later.

The dialogues are so well-written and it's no wonder because some of them were taken straight from the manga. As for the fight scenes, they do not disappoint albeit they aren't as flashy as the ones from the previous films. The fight choreography in this movie is much more grounded and realistic, reminiscent of old samurai movies, which is more to my liking, really. My favorite is definitely the battle between Kenshin and Okita, I actually watched it twice because I thought it was so darn cool. The real-life Okita Soji was said to have been one of the finest swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, and in the manga, he would've been a great match for Battousai if only he had not been dying from tuberculosis. Nonetheless, their fight shows how big of a threat he is to Kenshin despite his debilitating disease, and I gotta give it to the fight choreographers and the actors for that well-crafted sequence. I just wish Murakami Nijiro had more screen time as I really liked him as cocky Okita.

Kitamura Kazuki as the head of the Shadow Warriors doesn't have much screen time either but he certainly makes the most out of what he was given. He manages to be menacing, despicable, but also sympathetic in the little time he was on screen. He's a great actor so I don't wonder how he does it. Takahashi Issey as Katsura exudes gravitas that you can't help but believe in his cause despite the brutality of his measures. The rest of the cast are great in their respective roles, I don't really have much to say except that I wish some of them had gotten more screen time. But then again, I also understand the need for the movie to focus on Kenshin and Tomoe as underneath all the politics, the fights, and the socially relevant themes, this is a love story. I'm glad that the filmmakers didn't hesitate to show the romance between the two characters like they did with Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship. And the fact that the chemistry between Kasumi and Takeru is palpable definitely adds to the believability of the romance.

But I'm a little disappointed with Takeru's acting in that pivotal scene. I was expecting to cry ugly tears like I did when I first read the manga, but I just ended up being stunned that he didn't openly weep and scream like Kenshin did in the manga. Oh, Takeru, you may be great at doing the stunts and action sequences, but your acting still needs a whole lot of work. I know I sound like I'm nit-picking but that's supposed to be an emotional scene, I expected to see shock, devastation, grief, and guilt! Kasumi shows more acting range than he does and that's saying something! This movie would've been perfect if not for that bit. I'm willing to forgive it because the film, as a whole, is just so beautifully made so I can't really hold one actor's lack of acting skills against the whole production. This is still the best Rurouni Kenshin movie ever made, in my opinion, though.

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The Second Best Movie In The Whole Franchise

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is the fourth and second to the last installment in this saga. It is based on the Jinchu arc of the Rurouni Kenshin manga, better known to manga fans as the "revenge arc" for it explores Himura Kenshin's past and Yukishiro Enishi's attempts to avenge his sister's demise. Plot-wise, it pretty much remains faithful to the manga although there are parts that were taken out and parts that were added for fanservice and theatrical purposes. I could be wrong but I don't recall one particular fan-favorite character being part of this story. But what the hell, I don't mind.

There are stuff that I wish they had put in but the exclusion doesn't take away anything from the movie. I do have some minor gripes, though. There are some iffy CGI in some of the action sequences, particularly in the boss fight at the end. But I suppose they felt they needed to establish Enishi as someone with superhuman strength and abilities that can exceed Kenshin's since among all of Kenshin's adversaries in the manga (not including the recent arc), it's Enishi who almost killed him, and is, by far, the strongest of all his opponents. In the manga, Enishi specifically developed his fighting style to counter Kenshin's hiten mitsurugi, so yeah, the guy was practically created to end the Hitokiri Battousai. If not for his worsening mental state and obsession with his sister, he would've beaten Kenshin without a doubt. And I still don't like their treatment of Sano. They practically nerfed the guy and just turned him into the comic relief. Sano can be an idiot but he's no fool, and he's certainly not someone you can easily push aside.

Other than that, I don't have much to complain about this film. Although I wish they had followed the manga's narrative style starting with Kenshin's friends getting hurt by a series of attacks orchestrated by Enishi, then Kenshin telling the story behind his relationship with Enishi in a series of flashbacks, and ending with the final confrontation between the two, I know that this is probably the most effective way they could bring the Jinchu arc to life, considering the time constraints and that they have to divide it into two films. While following the manga would have helped non-manga readers or those who haven't seen the OVA's or anime series better understand the events that lead to Enishi's revenge, it's also not practical. So, I can't really oppose their decision to divide the story into two films with the last one being a prequel.

I had my doubts about Mackenyu's casting before, but he quickly wins me over as Enishi. I no longer doubt he is the right actor for the role. Tsuchiya Tao as Misao, like in the previous films, brings a smile to my face. I still hate that they make her less attractive in these films but I'm also glad that they make her so freakin' badass! I'm glad they brought back Iseya Yusuke as Aoshi as Aoshi and Misao really are supposed to be in this part of Kenshin's story. I still don't like Kaoru *shrugs* but it is what it is. lol No offense to Takei Emi, as I don't have anything against her, just her character. I don't even mind Sato Takeru in the role of Kenshin anymore, maybe I've gotten used to him or maybe because of his scenes with Arimura Kasumi as Tomoe that just felt right to me. I must say, I do notice a strong onscreen chemistry between them. I'm beginning to think that that's precisely the reason why Kasumi was cast as Tomoe. So despite my initial misgivings about her casting, I'm starting to actually like the idea of her as Kenshin's beloved first wife. I never thought I'd say that! lol

As for the technical aspects of the film, it's just beautifully shot, the cinematography is even more dramatic than in the previous films, the action scenes are better choreographed, and I love the emotional beats and dramatic scenes. I am still not a fan of Takeru's acting style but he pulls it off here. Final thoughts? I like this movie overall, it's very well done, and it's definitely one of the best installments in the series.

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A Hot Take

This movie may have received excellent reviews from movie critics and a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, but it left me feeling disappointed and a little pissed. I am a Bong Joon Ho fan and I liked pretty much all of his movies that I've seen so far, except this one. The first half of the film is well-written and directed, it draws you in with its smart grifter-type plot about a family of charlatans. It establishes the characters quite well that you feel invested in them almost immediately.

The second half, however, is a different matter. It's like the filmmakers suddenly didn't know what to do next and resorted to doing something completely off the rails and just went crazy with it to push their social and political agendas. It felt like two different movies to me. I was expecting them to do something smart with it, but in the end, it just came out stupid. I'm sure a lot of people would disagree with me, but I just felt that they could have ended the movie in a much better fashion. Yes, it's a satire, I know, but just because it is, it doesn't mean you have to ignore logic and realism. In my opinion, this is a waste of a very promising plot.

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A Live Action Adaptation That Should Be Forgotten

Some manga/anime series should never be adapted to live action and Fullmetal Alchemist is one of them. While Japanese-speaking European characters are not uncommon in anime, this poses a big problem when done in live action. Asian actors wearing blond wigs and pretending to be Caucasians are not the least bit believable. They look like a bunch of cosplayers wearing badly styled cheap wigs. Hiromu Arakawa created a complex world where alchemy is used as if it were magic but treated as a science. She meticulously explains her concept in the manga and it was translated faithfully to its anime version. However, the film fails in this when it uses merely one scene in which Al awkwardly explains the process of alchemy to a bunch of townspeople. If you're a fan of the series, then you wouldn't have any problems getting into the story. If not, then you'd have difficulty understanding equivalent exchange, the gate of truth, and such.

Even though the costumes, sets, and visual effects aren't terrible, the majority of the casting is. Ryosuke Yamada, for all his good looks, simply does not embody what Edward Elric is all about. I just couldn't see the loudmouthed midget with an attitude in him. His acting is tolerable at best. Winry has always been a bit annoying but she is an automail genius and certainly no damsel in distress. She actually plays a vital role in the brothers' lives, something the film fails to show. Also, the actress they've chosen to play her cannot act to save her life, let alone build an automail arm. Al may look exactly as he does in the anime, thanks mainly to the special effects team, but he sounds more like an effeminate male teen than a child who never really got to grow up. Dean Fujioka makes a handsome Roy Mustang, but he plays him too seriously that he ends up looking woody and awkward most of the time. The Flame Alchemist is humorless at times, yes, but he is also one of the most complex characters in the series who pretends to be a self-absorbed womanizer to hide his vulnerabilities. Perhaps with better writing, Dean could have done the character justice.

The homunculi are passable with Yasuko Matsuyuki's Lust standing out of the three that are included in the film. But it is Sato Ryuta's portrayal of Maes Hughes that is most memorable for me. Hughes is a fan favorite and I've always hated the idea of him being killed off. Ryuta made me care as much about the character as I did in the manga/anime that his death bothered me all over again. All in all, the movie is entertaining but not nearly as good as the original series. It got some things right, but it got a lot of it wrong that it just doesn't do the original manga/anime justice. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of my all-time favorite series and as a fan, I am disappointed with this live action version. Like most live action films of Japanese manga series, this one fails in most aspects.

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Kudaranai!

Ajin is a prime example of what happens when movie producers, writers, and filmmakers don't respect the original material and just create a live action adaptation of a popular manga/anime series for the cash grab. I can think of only one word for the movie, “kudaranai”, which means pointless. Although it has a great cast of actors, none of them (except one) are appropriate for the parts. With the exception of Tamayama Tetsuji as Tosaki, the rest of the cast don't look or act like the characters in the original series. Nagai Kei is supposedly a 17-year-old high school student aspiring to become a doctor and yet they chose to cast a nearly 30-year-old Sato Takeru. Instead of casting a suitable actor for the part, they changed the character into a 26-year-old med student to fit the actor they've chosen. I would have been fine with this change if they had bothered to actually give depth to the character and explained his motivations instead of just making him an unusually intelligent young man whose intentions are not quite clear.

Nagai is not your garden variety ajin, his IBM and black ghost first appeared when he was just a baby so he has an excessive amount of the stuff, allowing him to call upon his black ghost multiple times unlike most ajin. He also has low emotional intelligence, making him almost emotionless, cold, and indifferent. But he's incredibly smart and observant, allowing him to think more logically and strategically. None of those things are explored in the movie. Shirota Yuu as Tanaka is just a waste. With the way they wrote the character, he could have been played by basically anyone, there was no need for them to hire a popular actor. Shimomura is reduced to a mere sidekick, not one bit of character background is given. But my biggest disappointment is Sato. Ayano Go may be one of the most popular actors in Japan these days but his acting talents simply cannot make anyone believe he's actually an elderly man. Sato is not even Japanese! His real name is Samuel T. O'Brien (Owen in the manga), Sato is just the name he used when he came to Japan. He was born in the 50's and he's a war veteran with exceptional combat skills. He also appears to be a friendly and kind old man, that's why Nagai initially trusted him. He may be brutal and calculating but on the surface, he seems calm and respectable. By changing the age of the character, they completely scrapped this aspect of his persona. Ayano's portrayal comes off as psychopathic and warlike, the complexities of the character lost in his John Wick-like gun-fu. It's probably one of the worst casting choices I've ever seen.

Tamayama Tetsuji's portrayal of Tosaki is the only thing that remotely reminds me of the source material. But even his character has no real depth, his motivations are also unclear. The rest of the characters are as pointless as this movie, just mere fodder. The special effects are decent but could have been better. Why Japanese film producers continue to hire the same old popular actors instead of holding auditions and finding the perfect actors for the roles, escapes me. I am now utterly convinced that the anime stage play productions are so much better at adapting anime/manga series for they really try to remain faithful to the source material and cast the most appropriate actors they can find.

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Manji The Killer of 100 In The Flesh!

Takashi Miike's 100th film is based on a seinen manga by Hiroaki Samura about an immortal samurai who must kill 1000 evil men to gain redemption. I suppose it's understandable that those who are unfamiliar with the manga might compare it with Logan. There are certainly some similarities with Manji having lived long enough to become weary of killing and finding a new purpose to go on. Not to mention, his ability to heal wounds is very Wolverine-like. But the similarities end there. This is a story of revenge much like Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, but it's also about a man struggling to find a semblance of redemption before he finally succumbs to death. It's not as good as the manga, unfortunately, but it does well in bringing the characters to life and Miike is not shy about showing the brutalities the manga is known for. The movie lacks proper character development for the minor characters, including its main villain, but it's understandable considering this was based on a manga series consisting of hundreds of chapters that spanned years in the making. You can only do so much with a little over two hours of run time. I never would have imagined Takuya Kimura for the role but I had totally forgotten that I was seeing a former boy band member and thought only of Manji the Killer of 100. He was almost unrecognizable in the role. The fight scenes are well-choreographed and executed. There are no over-the-top wuxia-like flying or frantic sword fighting that made the Rurouni Kenshin movies so popular. But it does boast of nearly realistic sword play that you find in samurai films of old combined with Kill Bill-type of bloody fights, which make the film better in my opinion. Sorry Kenshin but Manji is the shit! Just try killing this dude, you can cut off his limbs, even his head and he can still re-attach them! Fans of Japanese cinema might find more than one familiar face in cameos and small roles. I just wish this was turned into a series instead of a movie so the characters can be fully fleshed out and Manji's immortality could be properly addressed. But on the bright side, there's room for a sequel or sequels. As samurai films go, I'd give this a 7.5. Highly enjoyable, great lead character and well-crafted fight sequences that make you cringe with all the blood and gore. It's certainly a win for Takashi Miike.

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A Review of the High & Low Drama and Movies...

After watching two seasons of the drama and three movies, I finally finished the Mugen/Sannoh Hoodlum Squad saga of this High & Low franchise. I'm not gonna lie, I did enjoy it to a certain degree, especially the drama, but the movies not so much. The films, to me, are like the Fast and Furious movies, they get bigger, crazier, and blatantly worse with each installment despite the flashy action choreography and huge action pieces. But I felt compelled to keep watching because I have grown attached to some of the characters, particularly Murayama, Smokey, Tetsu, Todoroki, Seki, and the rest of the guys from Oya Koko. The plot is completely bonkers! I won't even try to discuss that here. The characters, for the most part, are caricatures. The different street gangs appear cool at first but I grew weary of most of them as I kept watching. The Sannoh guys are quite possibly the most wholesome and boring bunch of gangsters I've ever seen on screen. Their leader, Cobra, is an emo kid with a default expression that he probably believes to be intimidating and eyes that are as dead as the black button eyes of Coraline's other parents. It doesn't help that the actor who plays him has the emotional range of a wet paper bag. Yamato and Noboru are slightly interesting but they don't get enough screen time, which is a shame since the actors that play those two can actually act.

The White Rascals are just plain creepy. They claim to have started their group to protect women and call themselves “scouts”, which is a nice way of saying that they are pimps. Okay, I get the sad backstory of their leader, Rocky, but come on, if they really want to protect women, then why are they selling them like pieces of meat? Instead of “helping” them become prostitutes, why not help them live decent lives??? Every time Rocky says he's only doing it to protect women, I cringe and get the urge to throw up. The actor who plays him also can't act well enough to sell that lie. This is why you shouldn't cast idols (who can't act) to play these roles. But do they listen? No!

The guys at Daruma are led by the psychopathic and drugged out Hyuga whose motivations have been questionable from the start. Hayashi Kento is a good actor but the character he plays is just despicable, I'm sorry. I can't blame him, though. He did the best he could to make that character sympathetic at least.

The Rude Boys are probably the most interesting bunch and their unique fighting style is the best in the whole series. Their fight choreography is a combination of parkour, gymnastics, and breakdancing, which is awesome! They are led by the self-sacrificing Smokey played by Kubota Masataka. He brought gravitas and soul to that character despite his relatively small part in the story. He rarely makes an appearance but when he does, he brings his A-game and manages to make the character memorable.

But my favorite among the SWORD gangs is the Oya Koko or Oya High school, which is home to the most notorious delinquents in the city, led by the legendary and charismatic, Murayama Yoshiki. Of all the characters in this series, Murayama sees the most growth both as a leader and a person, and that's what makes him the best written one. The fact that they chose to cast Yamada Yuki in the role also greatly contributed to how lovable the character becomes as the series goes on. Personal biases aside, he really does exude charm, wit, and an unmistakable humanity to him that you can't help but think of him as a real person and cheer for him as he fights for what he believes in and grows up to be a more reliable adult. It's no wonder that he became such a fan favorite that the producers of these movies decided to make a movie with him as the main character even though he was originally written to be just a supporting one.

The Mugen guys like Tatsuya and Kohaku are somewhat interesting, but I still couldn't care less about them. The Amamiya Brothers are probably more interesting in terms of their origins and personalities. The elder brother, Masaki, is funny and pretty badass. Takahiro plays him well. I have no complaints there. I have yet to see their movie, Red Rain, which is a kind of spin-off. I will get to that after I finish High & Low: The Worst, which features the Oya Koko characters and a crossover between the High & Low and Crows Zero franchises. The other groups like Doubt and Mighty Warriors are annoying and forgettable. I'm guessing they were included so they could cast and promote more EXILE members (more people who can't act). See, I almost forgot to write about them. Hahahaha. All in all, High & Low is a fun you-must-suspend-your-disbelief type of series with mostly bad acting, badly written characters, and a plot line that Vin Diesel would envy. But they're not meant to be taken seriously so you shouldn't.

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Of dramas and life lessons...

From Now On We Begin Ethics is a surprising find for me. I only found out about it through a fellow Yuki fan and decided to give it a try as it was highly recommended. True enough, it turned out to be a gem of a series. The series revolved around an unconventional and eccentric Ethics teacher played by Yamada Yuki, whose unorthodox methods of teaching challenges his students' way of thinking and questions their morality and deep-seated beliefs. The series has a fairly simple plot that may seem like a rip-off of GTO or Gokusen. But it's not. Takayanagi is no hero and certainly not the meddlesome type of teacher who thrives in motivating his students and pushing them to be all that they can be. But he genuinely cares for his students and so he tries his best to be of help to them despite believing himself to be flawed and can only do so much to affect change in his students' lives.

Instead of positivity, he employs a different tactic, he treats them like human beings who have the freedom to decide for themselves. He doesn't tell them which way to go or what is right or wrong. He lets them decide by asking them the questions that no one else is bold enough to ask. I found myself seriously considering each and every thought-provoking question he asked his students, and there were times when I would nod in agreement and also disagree with his statements. What is the function of society? Why do we need to conform? Why do we need to sacrifice one for the betterment of others? What is evil and what is good? And how do we make the choice which path to take in a world that's full of options and complications? What is freedom and why too much of it can be fatal? These questions left me reeling with my own questions about humanity, society, and the very meaning of happiness. Not very many works of fiction can have that effect on me and that is why this short series has quickly become a favorite of mine. I'm glad I stumbled upon this. I would recommend this to anyone willing to take the time to learn and listen to what these characters have to say.

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To The Grand Line, Nakama!

This is my honest take of the live action action version of my favorite shonen series, One Piece. Subjectively, this is just an 8.5 out of 10 for me. I found it highly enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but there are some stuff that don't sit well with me and I feel that changing or omitting certain parts takes away some of the heart of the story. I don't mind them streamlining the narrative and combining subplots to create more moving parts in a single episode because, honestly, early One Piece is a slow burn. By doing so, they can move things along, improving the plot progression immensely. For the uninitiated, this is actually better because it introduces the world of One Piece more fluidly and hooks you fairly quickly. But as I mentioned, some of the parts that were taken out were integral to the characterization of some of the characters and would've further explained their motivations. Some of the emotional scenes were not executed as well as the anime that they just didn't have the same effect on me. Of course, non-fans wouldn't notice these things, so hopefully, they'll feel the same way us fans did when we saw these scenes in the anime. But for an avid fan like me, those scenes felt lacking and the payoff of some of the subplots just weren't as satisfying. But I still commend the writers for doing the best they could with the material that they were given. One Piece is probably the hardest story to adapt not only because of the massive world Oda has created but also the zaniness and goofiness of the characters. I imagine the writers were hard-pressed to balance the serious and comedic tones of the story because One Piece, at its core, is a comedy with dark undertones and serious themes. So for them to actually successfully adapt One Piece and pay tribute to what makes it one of the greatest works of fiction ever written is a humongous feat. I give them props for that. Still, there's room for improvement, and hopefully, they can improve upon it in the succeeding seasons.

The cast of actors, especially the first five Straw Hats, are phenomenal. Inaki as Luffy is not the Luffy I know from the anime but he exudes Luffy energy and that's what matters. He made this role his own and I'm cool with it. Mackenyu as Zoro is legit a brilliant casting choice. He is Zoro in every way. I just wish that some of the emotional beats regarding his back story were done better, though. They've made some changes with Sanji's character, which is understandable as Sanji's “perversion” would not sit well with the western audience. But they managed to keep what makes Sanji Sanji, so I'm okay with that. And Taz is great in the role. They couldn't have picked a better Sanji to be honest. I never doubted Jacob's casting as Usopp from the moment I saw videos of him talking and joking around. He immediately gave me Usopp vibes so I'm quite happy with this choice. I just wish they kept some of Usopp's heroic scenes because those are what made me respect the character and think that he's the bravest of them all despite his cowardly facade. Emily as Nami was not convincing to me at first as I've seen her in other projects and her acting didn't impress me at all. But to be fair, she did deliver. She did make me cry in that pivotal scene, which I'm not going to mention here as it's a spoiler for those who haven't seen it. But One Piece fans would know what I'm referring to. Mihawk, Buggy, Koby, Helmeppo, and Kuro are so spot on it was like watching manga/anime characters come to life. Steven John Ward, especially, is literally the real-life version of Dracule Mihawk! I do have some complaints regarding the casting for some characters, though. Ben Beckman, for example, just doesn't scream badass to me. The guy they got is too old and overweight. Makino is supposed to be younger but they chose an older looking actress.

And to be honest, I still have a problem with some of the costumes and wigs. I get that they're trying to embrace the goofiness of the original but there's no excuse for bad costuming and wigs, man! They can be very jarring and plain cringe. The sets and special effects are so on point, they made me feel like these places and creatures do exist in another world somewhere. I especially adore the news coo and the den den mushi or transponder nails. They made me laugh every time they appeared on screen. The boats are spectacular! I'm glad the showrunners opted to use as many practical effects as they could. Luffy's stretching didn't bother me, I thought it was nicely done. Same with the Fishmen. I really didn't have a problem with them using prosthetics or the choice to make them human-sized instead of unusually large. I understand why they had to do that. Besides, the guy they got for Arlong is menacing and he even got Arlong's laugh right.

The action choreography, for the most part, is pretty dope, especially the Zoro fight scenes. However, there are parts when you can clearly see the wires and props. Some eagle-eyed viewers have caught those boo-boos. Those could've been easily edited out. This reminded me of the Starbucks cup in the final season of Game of Thrones. lol They should hire better stunt coordinators and editors to avoid these kinds of mishaps.

The music, though not as epic and iconic as the anime's musical score, is pretty good. Some of the character theme songs got stuck in my head for days, especially Nami and Zoro's themes. I'm happy that they did their own versions of We Are and Bink's Sake as these are One Piece staples. A part of me wished they also made versions of Overtaken and The Very Very Strongest, though.

Yes, many changes have been made, some I'm happy with, some I'm not. Is it perfect? No. Is it the best live action anime adaptation? No. But it's undeniably entertaining and I can honestly say that it kept the spirit of One Piece unlike most live action adaptations I've seen and I've seen an unhealthy number of those types of films. Seriously, eight episodes is not enough. I want more! And apparently, many others feel the same way. Personally, I'm excited to see what they'll do with the succeeding arcs, especially the Alabasta arc. They better get Chopper right!

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Another Live Action Fail

I finally have the time to write a review for the live action iteration of the universally loved anime/manga series, Yu Yu Hakusho. It's no secret that I wasn't as overly pleased with this as I hoped I would be. But I kinda suspected I would hate it the moment I saw the trailer and found out it's only going to be 5 episodes. Yu Yu Hakusho was one of my favorite anime series back in the day so I expected so much from this.

Sadly, this live action series as a whole is mediocre at best. Not great. Not awful. Just mid. There are things I loved and things I hated with a passion. First, the positive. The action choreography is simply flawless, the long shots are fluidly executed, the creativity in how the fighters use their environment to gain advantage is pure unadulterated fun. Unfortunately, that's all it has going for it. The story is a mishmash of several story arcs that should've and could've been adapted properly if they had chosen to go with the first two arcs in the first season. The manga series is relatively short to begin with, they could've written a far better adaptation if they actually used the source material. But maybe it's a one-and-done type of series so they figured they should use elements from the other story arcs that made the series so beloved.

The characters are lackluster save for Kuwabara, who is actually my least favorite in the anime. He's the only one who goes through real character development and was the most interesting character in the whole series hands down! Yusuke is meh. Just a meathead punk I couldn't care less about. Hiei is an emo kid walking around with a humongous chip on his shoulder but you don't know why because he doesn't have a character arc unlike in the original. Genkai they just did dirty. Was I supposed to care about her? Really? I couldn't tell. Botan was not cute but annoying and the actress they chose overacted so much. Although I don't mind Keita Machida as Koenma, I wish they had opted to use his baby form instead because having a grown man walk around with a pacifier in his mouth is just gross. Toguro was not even the slightest bit intimidating and the CGI on his final form was laughable. He resembled a bread dough that has been kneaded for far too long and shaped to look like an anatomically incorrect human torso. But the biggest disappointment was Kurama. My god, why oh why did they have to cast Jun Shison for the role?! He looks like a cosplayer with a bad wig! He just doesn't look good with hair color that's not black. He is undeniably Asian-looking that whenever he dyes his hair, he looks like he's going to an anime convention wearing a cheap synthetic wig he ordered online. And the guy can't act his way out of a paper bag. There are plenty others who would've been more suitable for the part. Apart from his action stunts, which were solid by the way, he was not the Kurama I know. Faaaaaaar from it!

Maybe I'm just biased because I have fond memories of the original and I couldn't help but keep comparing the two. I wanted so badly to like this. In fact, I was looking forward to watching it. But the first episode already felt off to me. Everything seemed so cheesy from the way Yusuke acted to the dialogue and the overall vibe of the series. The CGI was hit or miss. Sometimes it appeared superbly executed, sometimes it was terribly cartoonish. If I were to rate this series, I would give it a 5.5 out of 10 for the action choreography, stunt work, and Kuwabara. It has very low rewatchability for me. I would probably just watch clips of some of the fight scenes, most especially the Yusuke versus Goki one. But that's about it.

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The Count of Monte Cristo Melodrama-style

The Double is a revenge drama that's very much in the same vein as the classic The Count of Monte Cristo. This is perhaps the main reason why it drew audiences. After all, who doesn't like a good revenge drama and root for the underdog? It follows the story of Xue Fangfei, the daughter of an upright magistrate who is betrayed by her husband whom a powerful princess coveted. She finds help in a young woman, Jiang Li, who shares a similar fate, having been betrayed by those closest to her as well. When Jiang Li dies, Fangfei decides to take on Jiang Li's persona and swears revenge on the people who wronged them. As she plots her intricately calculated revenge, she meets Xiao Heng or Duke Su (as he is more famously known) the loyal and coldblooded right-hand man of the Emperor charged to root out all the corrupt officials in the kingdom and bring his father's killer to justice. Their plans align and they form an uneasy alliance with the tacit understanding of one another's goals and trickery. As they maneuver through royal court politics, they discover a much deeper and more sinister plot against the kingdom.

What I like most about this drama is that the lead characters are highly intelligent, cunning, and almost always make smart decisions. The dialogues are well-written for the most part, the kind that forces you to read between the lines in order to understand the malice and hatred that are implied with each flattery and seemingly polite remark. It was fun trying to decipher the meaning behind each statement and watching the characters play an elaborate and deadly game of weiqi. I also like that most of the characters are layered and mature despite the fact that it is an idol drama. Xue Fangfei or Jiang Li, like Edmond Dantes, is a schemer set on revenge. Although I found some of her plans outright ridiculous that I'm convinced would never work in a real-life setting, she formulates some pretty interesting ones that are actually doable and believable.

This drama is quite difficult for me to review because even though I found it entertaining as a whole, there are some parts where you simply have to turn off your brain in order to enjoy them. There are scenes that just made me chuckle and scratch my head because I can't believe they did that. Just plain absurd! The inconsistency in the writing also made me lose interest at some point. But my biggest beef is the ending, especially the last three episodes leading to the finale. For the life of me, I really do not understand the need for overly dramatic scenes when it could've been done more simply with less melodrama. Nothing wrong with a straightforward happy ending, but these writers can't seem to grasp the importance of resolution and closure. Of all the C-dramas I've seen, only one gave me a truly satisfying ending and that is Zhang Ruoyun's Under the Microscope. The rest just couldn't quite stick the landing, while others completely missed it. This drama completely missed the mark. In fact, it crashed and burned and left a bitter taste in my mouth, reminiscent of Nirvana in Fire's ending that I still refuse to acknowledge. They had to film an extra 5-minute scene to fix the damage, but it was a little too late. Nothing can save that awful half-baked ending they concocted. Sure, the battle scenes look good, it makes Wang Xingyue's Xiao Heng all the more heroic and dashing, but damn it, you don't need that to make a compelling ending!

I thought about why I was so drawn to this drama in spite of its many flaws. I mean, I didn't like the music, I thought the songs were all awful, especially the duet that plays whenever Xiao Heng and Jiang Li have their lovey dovey scenes. The qin music was nothing special. Just not my cup of tea, I guess. The visuals and cinematography are alright, nothing to write home about. It's obvious that this drama didn't have the biggest budget. The romance was non-existent, at least for me. I am not big on romance so I rarely see chemistry in couples, but when I do, there's always a good reason for it. Fans of this drama have all raved about the explosive chemistry between the leads but I just can't see it. I gag whenever I see them looking so chummy. I may like the character of Xue Fangfei/Jiang Li, but I'm not fond of the actress. I actually knew nothing about Wu Jinyan before this drama so I had no preconceived notions about her acting skills. Apparently, I'm not the only one who noticed how wooden she looks in most of her scenes and how her eyes look like those of dead fish. I can't seem to connect with her character because I don't feel genuine emotions from her. She always looks like she's performing with those eerie looking dead fish eyes. *shudders* And the fact that she's already 34 years old did not escape me. She does look her age (for an Asian woman) and I don't understand why they thought she could pull off the role of an 18-year-old. They should've gotten Bai Lu or someone of her caliber and looks instead. As for her supposed chemistry with Wang Xingyue, she has more chemistry with Li Meng who plays Princess Wanning, and Xingyue has more chemistry with his fan.

But I digress, I was trying to write about what attracted me to this drama, and I could only think of one thing, Wang Xingyue as Xiao Heng. The fact that he's only 22 years old and was 20-21 years old when they filmed the drama blows my mind to this day. He has this husband material aura and a tremendous screen presence that just makes him swoon-worthy to say the least. His charisma is so undeniable that I believe most women watched the drama just for him, I am not ashamed to admit that I am one of those women. His acting skills still need a lot of work, but I believe he will become an in-demand leading man pretty soon.

As for the rest of the cast, Li Meng as the psychopathic Princess Wanning stands out. I can't stand her character and I give props to the actress. I was even slightly sympathetic towards her character in the end because she expertly portrayed the role of a mentally unstable and damaged princess. And for some reason, I found her more attractive than Wu Jinyan. Joe Chen as the scheming stepmother, Ji Churan, is another standout. I also have to give credit to Liang Yong Qi as Shen Yurong, Fangfei's cowardly husband. The villains in this drama (save for one) are superbly written and acted! I completely understood their motivations and the drama explicitly shows how their questionable morals and wrong choices led them to their eventual demise. Lord Cheng, however, could've been incorporated into the story earlier so he could've been more fleshed out. For the supposed biggest baddie of the entire series, his character felt flat, insignificant, and formulaic. The other supporting characters are great as well, no complaints here. Although I would've preferred some of them weren't killed off.

Without these things I mentioned, this drama would be mediocre at best. But thankfully, they got themselves a captivating leading man, great villains, and intelligent writing (for the most part). I give The Double a generous 7. It's great fun, highly addictive, and you'll love it if you can suspend your disbelief and throw logic out the door from time to time.

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