Watch this movie with headphones!

Before I review the content of the movie, I encourage anyone considering watching this film to do so using headphones. The sound design for 3 specific scenes is such that using headphones will heighten the experience, and I think, give you more of a feel for what the filmmaker intended.

I found this movie to be particularly enjoyable because of the way the filmmaker has presented their messages and intent to the viewer. I didn't feel like I was being beat over with a heavy message or opinion on what I was 'supposed' to be think, but rather I was being shown in a very soft and optimistic way. There is conflict in this movie to be sure, but everything feels like the progress that is made from the conflict is much more important than the conflict itself. It's strangely refreshing in a way that really captivated me as a viewer.

The movie illuminates the frought landscape of young love, the pressure that young artists are placed under to grow and develop, platonic and romantic intimacy, and finding your place.

All in all a very enjoyable movie that I think deserves a second watch some time after your first viewing.

8.5/10

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Sweet and humorous.

Very well cast series with a lot of enjoyable supporting characters with their own little quirks and funny moments.
It is one of those shows that is a lot less about the overarching story and more about the interactions between the characters and the moments created from that. The story gets resoundingly completed but it's not at all the focus of the show.

The main character was a little too much for me right at the beginning of the series. A little TOO bumbling to begin with, to a point where you start to think there is no conceivable way this person could have made it through police training. But I warmed up to her fairly quickly as she started to develop away from being nearly incompetent.

A few surprisingly deep and emotional side stories in the episodes that catch you off guard, which I am learning is not at all uncommon in these types of J Dramas.

Great series to watch where you can just enjoy the dialogue and characters without having to pay too much attention to the story. This series is much more the journey than the destination.

8/10

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This is a miserable movie, and it will make you miserable.

Superior acting from the leads Ishihara Satomi, and Aoki Munetaka. It is no exaggeration that Ishihara spends about half the screen time crying or breaking down in tears. I can't imagine what it took to be that emotionally exhausted for the filming period. I can't imagine what it would be like to have your child go missing, but I imagine it leaves you searching for your sanity in a way that closely resembles what Ishihara portrays in her role as the mother.

There is very little, if any, levity to be had in this movie. Despair grows and continues throughout the movie and I found myself being emotionally taxed by the end of it. It's just setback after setback for the couple who are trying desperately to cling to any shred of hope that might come their way. It just always ends in more despair.

There is no happy ending here and the movie wraps up with no conclusion, a reflection of reality when a child goes missing.

(I'd love to just be able to ignore the rewatch value metric here. I don't think this is a movie you would want to watch more than once because it's A LOT, but giving it a low score also feels unfair).

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A lot of layers to this one. Complex and gripping.

Seiyoku/(Ab)normal Desires is a challenging story which presents the viewer with many societal issues that are confronting and complex.

With an overarching focus on where sexual minorities fit into this world, we are shown main characters struggling to accept themselves, and struggling to be accepted by the outside world for their sexual fetishes and proclivities(In this case a fetish for water).

Shame has played a large role in molding these characters into who they are, and the actors do a fantastic role at depicting the weirdness that develops within people who can never truly be themselves, for fear of ridicule and rejection. My favourite line from the film being from one of the leads saying 'Being on earth makes me feel as if I am studying abroad'.

Throughout the film there is an undercurrent of something more sinister within the story itself, which we eventually see come to fruition right at the end of the film. Please be warned that whilst there is nothing graphic shown, there are some very confronting scenes to do with pedophilia within the last 15 minutes of the film.

A rewatch might be too much for people, but I think there is more to take from this with a second viewing down the line.

The film contains depictions of pedophilia, as well as a suicide attempt, so please be mindful of this when watching the film.

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Enjoyable performances, but a mish-mash of ideas.

The setup for this movie is great, 7 young actors gather in a villa in the mountains to act out a play that their acting coach/theatre director will be watching on livestream. The goal being to be cast as the lead in the next production.

The play they are meant to act is unfortunately non-descript, and we don't really get much exposition or explanation as to how the play ties in to the story. Outside of an initial scene at the beginning of the movie where they find 7 copies of the same book to read, and then a reference to that book nearing the end of the film.

It turns out that there are some 'real' murders taking place, and the remaining cast are slowly discovering that this might not actually be a play but the real thing. The main character is an outsider to the others and is slowly introduced to the backgrounds of the other actors relationships, and we find out why some of the actors are so tense around each other.

The reveal(s) at the end are not at all unpredictable, which on it's own is fine, but the main character all of a sudden connects all these dots together that we as the audience were completely unaware of and it feels very ham-fisted and convenient.

I like that at the end it is revealed to us that these turn of events had been turned into a play, and we are watching a performance of said play in front of a live audience. I thought it was done very well, and it was a very pleasing transition from 'actual events' to the stage-play itself at the end.

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Sinister but confusing.

The good:
Holds nothing back
Conclusion is satisfying
Relatable characters

The bad:
Dialogue is a little contrived in some scenes
Pacing
Shallow

Guilty of Romance is very full frontal throughout the entire movie. Nothing seems to be off limits for the director in all of his films but Guilty of Romance seems to be the pinnacle of this trait. Unfortunately I started to lose my way a little bit in the story just after the one hour mark, the pacing of the film changed and the order of events got very jumbled up. The dialogue of the characters and the abstract nature of what they were discussing didn't seem to fit within the narrative. However, the ending of the film saved this for the most part because things were wrapped up and explained quite clearly in the end. No major loose ends.

Kagurazaka Megumi does a fantastic job as usual. This actress really sells her characters in all her movies very well, and seems to be able to tap into motivations to make them real and believable very easily. Supporting cast is good, but no stand out performances.

The biggest issue I had with this movie is how seemingly shallow it is. There isn't much to take away from all of this, which is fine, but I felt like the intention was to say more than it actually said. Because of this the rewatch value is low, and the pacing makes it difficult to invest into the characters beyond a superficial level. I understand their motivations but it all seems a little TOO chaotic for me to really connect with any of them.

Worth a watch simply for the extreme nature of the film, I can see this film connecting a lot more with others than it did with me.

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Builds well on Season 1

I enjoyed Season 1, but often found the characters to be very tedious. This, I think, was drawn out and made worse because of the 17 episode season length. I am happy to say that Season 2 does a great job of reducing this tedium and delivery it's story in a much more impactful and efficient way.

The new side characters are enjoyable and fun, the two newest most prevalent support characters are both played incredibly well by Sugino Yosuke and Takahashi Maryjun. Although I am sad to say that Arai Miu get's much less screen time this season(she was the standout in Season 1 for me).

I think if you are like me and felt a little unsure of whether to proceed after Season 1 then I think you should give it your time.

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Twisted, disgusting, unsettling. All of the bad words.

I feel like whenever I watch a Sion Sono film I need a few months off to recuperate from the emotional ordeal one often goes through when watching one of his films.

This film is everything people said it was. Disgusting and intense with what you are expected to watch as the story unfolds, but I think the main issue with this film is that it is way too front loaded in terms of it's shock value and the imagery it gives to you as more or less as soon as the movie starts. The first ~40 minutes are like a nightmare that won't end, and weirdly enough the rest of the movie is fairly tame in comparison to that first 40 minutes or so. In any other movie the remainder of the film would have been shocking, but in the case it wasn't.

Sion Sono has other films in his filmography that do a much better job of commenting on the depths that human depravity and psyche can go to, this movie feels more like it was made purely for the shock value, which feels silly to say about a Sion Sono film, but one of the captivating things about his movies is there is usually a lot more below the surface. I just didn't feel it with this one.

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Deeper than the synopsis suggests, but that doesn't make it easier.

What I took away from this drama is that you really can craft a story where all the main characters are intensely dislikable and have it be an interesting story.

The first boyfriend who the FL is in a long term relationship with is a classic disinterested and childish partner that a lot of women wind up settling for. He looks down on the FL, treats her like an employee, is selfish emotionally, psychologically, and sexually, but isn't outright abusive or callous. Remarkably, he is the most likeable in the love triangle.

I find the FL to be incredibly contemptuous in practically every metric. She pulls a 15 year old into her (early?) life crisis and victimizes him to satisfy her need to cleanse her own trauma or something? I'd have a lot more to say about WHY she chooses to do what she does, but the drama is very light on back-story for her that isn't related to her 4 year relationship with her adult boyfriend.

She even develops the nerve to defend herself to others once the relationship becomes known publicly, acting as if those around her should just accept that the relationship is valid. Her common defense is that 'She is having fun', but tells the ML that she loves him and wants to stay with him forever. She selectively presents two different stories to people and would rather lie and justify her actions that admit what she is doing is wrong.

The ML is of course the victim in this relationship. He is objectively immature, and is being emotionally manipulated by the FL. His chances at having a normal relationship is going to be effected for the rest of his life. But the drama does a damn good job at making us hate him, too. His immaturity, manipulative behaviour, stalking, and sexual abuse is actually very realistic BECAUSE THATS WHAT AN OBJECIVELY IMMATURE PERSON DOES. Regardless of how expected his behaviour is, you still hate him for what he does(because you should) and his willingness to throw his life away to be with this abusive woman is pitiful rather than sympathetic.

Like others have said, the drama is beautifully produced, and the actors did a fantastic job convincing me that they are these characters. I think the story falls apart after the FL starts her relationship with the ML in earnest, after breaking up with the long-term boyfriend. The story was much more captivating when she was umming and ahhing about the morality of what she was doing, rather than jumping full force into this ridiculous relationship. The first 6-7 episodes are a solid 9/10, but the back half of the drama brings it down to a 7/10 at best. The ending is intensely unsatisfying, too.

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Boring and uneventful, outside of a few chuckles.

This movie is painfully slow and boring throughout most of the run time. The manager character treats the 3 members of the band incredibly poorly and intentionally starves them of food and comfort, but explains to other characters that she sees potential in them to be a big success. One of the band members dies from starvation and the movie kind of tries to play it for laughs, but because the whole movie is quite dull it just comes off as useless.

The dialogue is drawn out and slow and on top of that it's difficult to hear the dialogue a lot of the time because of the way the movie is shot.

There are two funny moments in the movie, a scene where we get to see a small town talent show, and a scene where we see the 3 band members trying to sleep in a tiny bed together. Aside from that, the movie has very little to offer.

It's a harsh review. But honestly, this movie isn't worth your time. Unless I completely missed the point and/or it just wasn't for me.

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Deceptively honest story about loneliness.

This drama took me by surprise, I had no real expectations going in outside of it just being a fairly light and fun romance drama. However, it turns into an incredibly relatable and deceptively complex story that does an incredible job tapping into emotions and feelings that I think most of us have experienced at one time or another.

The prevelant theme of this season is loneliness, manifesting itself in a variety of different ways across the main cast of characters, who find themselves experiencing and dealing with their loneliness in their own way. Some doing it more destructively than others.

Very strong performances from all the female leads (Yoshikawa Ai as Yuki is billed as MC, but scarcely has story for at least half of the shows episodes). I especially enjoyed the slightly unhinged performance by Saito Nagisa as Takahashi Yua, and Yanai Yumena as Maya Moe; who for me was the star of the show.

Very excited to being Season 2!

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Frustrating show that promised more than it could deliver.

The synopsis for this show seemed fairly generic when I first read it. But I have been enjoying female perspective/lead TV shows lately and wanted to give this one a go. Unfortunately, this one becomes a little bit of a slog and by the end of the 6th or 7th episode I wasn't very motivated to finish it.

The three main characters in this show can be so frustrating with their decision making and their reasoning for making said decisions. I know love and feelings are very complex and it can hard, sometimes, to discern any logical thread that holds these decisions together. But the main character specifically seems to constantly go out of her way to create misery for herself and, most frustratingly, make decisions that are completed opposed to her goals that she constantly re-affirms with her friends (imaginary and real).

I know it's a common trope that I should expect to see often in J Dramas, but the MC dropping the caring, respectful, and kind love interest (who wants all the things she claims to want: A family, home etc) for the blond haired young guy who treats her like shit the entire show (because she reminds him of the school teacher he married as a favour because she was dying).

The left it open for a Season 2, but I am so glad they didn't make it.

Painfully average.

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Great ending, but frustrating at times.

Good:
Satisfying ending
Great character development
Solid performances by younger cast members
Supporting sub-plots are interesting and surprisingly humorous at times

Bad:
Over-acting at times from the male MC
Drags a little bit in the middle of the story
Things fall into place a little too easily, at times.

I loved the premise of this show. A mystery that slowly unfolds with a main character whose motives evolve and unravel throughout the episodes. It's instantly intriguing.

Overall I enjoyed the series. The ending, for me, was satisfying and there didn't seem to be too many plot holes or unexplained occurrences that needed addressing. The acting was a little over the top at times from Suda Masaki but in the context of the character and the show it wasn't too distracting. The performances by the young actors playing the students were all well done (especially Katayose Ryota and Tomita Miu).


The show has a few very obvious real world messages it wants to send to the viewer and makes it quite obvious what it wants the viewer to take away from the show. Very poignant and relevant because of the suicide of Hana Kimura in real life.

If you like the 'operator' archetype with a grand plan then I highly recommend this series to you.

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Endearing Characters

It's been a while since I have watched a TV show that had such endearing characters. They feel so human and real.

I loved the way the story was told. No drama felt unnecessary or shoe horned in for the sake of 'making a moment' and sub-plots are actioned in a way that doesn't feel long winded or cut short for the sake of time management. I think this show shines the most with how enjoyable the overall viewing experience is, there are very few if any moments where you feel you are just going from point A to B for the sake of it.

Excellently cast as well. The actors involved seemed to really understand the part they were playing and where that character fit into the story. I especially enjoyed the performances of Otani Ryohei, and Takahashi Maryjun.

(A lot of folk label this as a 'light & funny' show, whilst this is for the most part true Episode 8 has a DV component to the story and people interested in watching this show should know that in advance.)

I cannot recommend this series enough.

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Terrible sequel, such a shame.

The entire charm of the first film was that Kaiji games the odds with his determination, wit, intellect, and kind-heartedness.
They've taken all of that away for this sequel. It is bland, bleak, and tiresome. It isn't even a gambling movie with interesting games and challenges. It is the lead characters trying to pull off a heist and game a pachinko machine.

The climactic scene of the film is a drawn out 30+ minutes where the characters are continually saved by other characters throwing money at them because they just happened to have access to a loan card or had money in their pocket.

Super lame, super disappointing, and a huge letdown after the strength of the first film.

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