1
realdeal
philippines
This is not for everyone. If you expect it will give you a feel good feeling like your typical romantic comedy you will be disappointed and I won't even be surprised if you ended up hating the movie cause of how brutal honest it is.
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The movie is slow, but it is so realistic that you feel you're not watching a movie. I love how the family handles the situation and how the parents realize about themselves when they exchange the child.
IF you don't like a slow artsy movie then it's not for you.
IF you want something different then it's for you.
IF you want to relax and stop thinking about your daily work then it's for you
I don't cry in this movie..this is NOT a tearjerker movie...but the effect will last long.
The scene when a father was holding a camera and browsing at the pictures taken by his 6 yr old former son is what HITS me.
[ koreeda style is this......he will make you walk calmly slowly THEN a f*cking truck
came and hit you in the end, the damage will stay with you for months ].
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Well anyway heres what I like about this film.
first the love story
I expect this to be a dark movie and yes its dark but I was surprised it has one of the best love stories I watched and its more tragic than titanic. Just imagine this..two people wanted to be loved met in a dating site but the timing was wrong cause the guy just killed a girl before their meeting and I said this is more tragic than titanic cause in titanic jack died but he still remain in rose heart...in akunin yes the guy still remain in the girls heart but she now thinks that hes a murderer..akunin.
Second is the grayish akunin character
While watching the movie you will ask yourself is this guy good or bad, earlier part of the film portrays him to be a somewhat misunderstood kid but later part portrays him to be a bad person..the part where the mother tells that he took money from her and his grandmother blaming herself tells this and why he suddenly wanted to kill his lover near the end WTF.
Third is the acting
The father portrayed by akira emoto and the grandmother portrayed by kirin kiki are the ones that made me cry. these two characters has to be the most authentic holy motha faka piece of acting that I watched. Father searching for justice and the grandma blaming for herself. the lead are both fantastic in fact this masterpiece film made me think that satoshi tsubamuki is the best japanese young actor living today...his way of portraying a gray character needs praise, he didnt overdo the BAD side of the character to make the character clear gray...that for me is fuck*n hard and eri fukatsu tho not that great in some dramas I watched with her..but here I dont know what happen but she really shines here every emotion shown by her character goes deep to your heart facial express everything perfect. And their chemistry is one of the best seriously.
fourth is the music
the music composed by joe hisashi gives a very dark ambiance to the movie but his song gives life to a one of the best love stories ever told. I kept saying that credits ost is not just a piece of shit music at the end but it has to summarize what you just watched (the concept of the movie) and this song was the epitome of that....A dark love.
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How many of you guys Jdrama lovers who just thought of one day you walk away from home go to other places where theres no one that know you? well Im one of those, actually watching drama is just my one way of escaping reality.
The story is about a girl who just came out of prison and being like that is not a good thing specially in japan, you will be treated different and not just you but also your family.....she just felt nobody understand her and she's just a burden so she left, making one million yen in each places she goes then repeat the process again and again.
Its a relaxing movie to watch, the scenery is great from beach to farm to shopping district. There are moments where there are no background music and all you can hear is sounds....waves, wind, walking etc. so yes its one of those slow japanese movie so its not for everyone.
Two main actors I like are in this movie aoi yu and moriyama....IMO these two actors are the best showing emotions without talking and aoi yu for me is the female moriyama LOL. This movie has open ending...and I really like open ending in a movie, cause with that we have our own interpretation so our attachment to the film will continue even after the ending credits and this movie has a great ending credits song that really embodies what a ending credits song/music is suppose to be, which should bring the feels that summarize what you just watch. THE FINAL KICK!!!
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The actors, both lead were great, their expression is spot on, tho kamiki is a bit exaggerated at times but takeru sato is growing into me as he nailed those dramatic scenes perfectly. I wish they had shown more of sometani, a freaking scene stealer, nailing that character to the bone, also one of the reasons why I wished this is a drama so that he can have more screen time, it is such a waste. Komatsu nana, I still don't know is she fits miho cause I have this strange vibe as I watched her, she has this face that can make you fall inlove with her and dump you after, what a scary woman. Takayuki Yamada my bias actor, but the most f*cked up character here, at first he is reserved then suddenly he became friendly, again not enough time to show how his character develops. Nakai, Hiramaru and expecially Fukuda are casted well, I know kiritani kenta can nail this character the momentI I saw him in the cast, and I was not disappointed, he made that character fun to watch.
Don't get me wrong it is still enjoyable, the editing is cool, but the pace is so fast like shinkasen train XD.
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As I watched the movie I must say that there is no freaking way in hell to tell that this was based on true story because some characters are exagerrated like as if they were straight from a Manga. Like for example...who the hell in real life is that boner guy and who walks nude in their home. Hahaha
About the movie its a feel good movie no boring moment IMO and the timespan was well done. The main strong points of this movie like I mentioned above was the chemistry between characters and that inspiring ending.
The characters
The main guy, the d*ck arrogant friend, the fat dude, the groin corny guy and lastly my favorite and IMO the most funny of them all, the boner guy. Them together is a fun watch...their antics and their favorite hobby(which is masturbation) makes me LOLed so hard. This movie also have lots of reference to manga like hanamichi sakuragi hairstyle and the Dempsey roll move.
The ending
Good or bad you decide but to me its good because of how inspiring it is and I admit being a guy this ending got me it makes me teary eyed a bit.
I recommend this movie to all guys in the world.
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This may feel like a boring drama to you but trust me that wont be the case cause the drama develops fast but without ruining the story.
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Meet Takumi Satsuki, played by Amane Okayama, a typical loser type character, an introvert who doesn't have experience towards girls. He enjoys playing Dragon quest where he role-plays as a female character. One day he met a character named Goro-san in game, where he was saved by him from a boss monster. He eventually became friends with Goro-san, whom he respects a lot because he is nice and very reliable, so when Goro told him he is looking for a place to live, he immediately offers to share his place to him. Little did he know Goro-san is a woman, Miyako Okamoto, played by Honda Tsubasa. Miyako is not just beautiful but also stylish, the type of woman whom you would not think she plays video games. They start to live together and they discover that their personality is not the same as their in game personas.
This drama is short, only 6 episodes, 20 minutes each, so in total this could be a 2 hour movie, but since this a drama format, the pacing didn't suffer, thanks to that. A fun and fast watch drama, full of clichés yet cute moments, good chemistry between the leads and hilarious side characters lead by a well known anime voice actor Miyano Mamoru (Death Note, Steins Gate, Soul Eater, Durara, seriously this dude is everywhere lol). This drama is also very relatable if you play video games especially MMORPGs. Watch our hero battle his anxiety towards women with the help of his online gaming friends and real life friends.
Watch this if:
-You find Honda tsubasa cute (long haired honda tsubasa FTW)
-You love cute romantic comedy
-You are interested to see Miyano Mamoru in Jdrama
-You love Dragon quest or gaming general and if you fantasize yourself having a relationship where both of you playing video games. #relationshipgoals
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The Luckiest Character in Japanese Drama Ever!!!
This is not your ordinary type of romantic comedy, it is a love story between two opposite type of people, there is an age gap issue and you will scratch your head thinking how the hell she fell in love with him. Most of you will be turn off because of this and I don't blame you as I were like that during the first episode. Though I grew liking the guy's character as the story progress I also think this drama would be better with a younger and bit more good looking lead.Meet Yuji Tomioka(Teppei Arita), a guy in his late 30's, never been in a relationship, he is living a boring life. One night during his work as a security guard, he wishes to a shooting star to have friends. Then later we are introduced to a Azusa Hada(Tsubasa Honda) mysterious girl who is stalking Tomioka and secretly in love with him. Let me give you a warning to the tone of drama, it is weird and a bit jarring as it starts as a comedy then take a dark turn in the middle episodes. If you are familiar with the movie Himeanole this drama has the same tone but unlike Himeanole it keeps its fun elements even after that dark twist. The comedy here is really good like seriously it is one of the funniest shows I've watched and the situation where this hot chick is in love with this guy and this guy doesn't give a damn is best thing about this show.
The pacing is really good, flow of each episode is a breeze, and every moment is dedicated to the development of these two characters. I would separate this show into 3 arcs, first part is when he gain friends, second would be that dark twist, third is where their love blossoms. If you are looking for a quick watch, fun drama this would be it.
Though they look awkward together these two characters do have chemistry. When I said chemistry I didn't mean romance but the comedic aspect. It's always fun seeing them together. Tsubasa Honda is the hottest stalker I've ever seen, and if you are a guy you would envy the lead guy in this drama, he is indeed the luckiest character in Japanese drama ever. Also, If you are a fan of Tsubasa Honda this is a must watch as this drama shows her cutest form yet.
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Some may compare this movie to fast and the furious but it is closer to a Ron Howard movie Rush. The pacing is similar to that movie where the story develops after each leg and while Rush is about rivals it's also somewhat similar to brotherly love.
Though with its heartful theme, the highlight of the movie are still the race scenes. I would say those racing sequences are executed really well, the camera shots are nice, the car zoom, skid, aerial shots and adrenaline pumping car crashes are brilliant. Though the visuals are very pleasing, there still some unrealistic events in this movie, like after a massive car crash you would see one character shirtless without any blood or bruises, but who gives a damn right as long as the movie is enjoyable and thrilling I am fine with that.
The acting in this movie is very impressive especially Higashide, never thought he could act this way. He is very expressive and you could feel his intensity as he shouts while giving instruction to his team. Mackenyu as the angsty younger brother did a good job too, I've seen him in Fugitive Boys, Todome no kiss and JoJo Live action so I already knew he was capable to play this type of character, I love his versatility as well.
I enjoyed watching this movie; time flew fast without realizing it's about to end. I wouldn't say it's the best racing movie though but compared to mainstream Hollywood movies such as fast and the furious I enjoy this better. Lastly if you are a girl this movie would be a heaven for you, lots of Ikemen from leads to supporting leads and would you ignore a shirtless Mackenyu? As a guy seeing that body inspires me to work out.
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The opening sequence at the court is one of the strongest opening sequences ever. We see the unapologetic abductor and the vengeful and bitter mother. It's quite long but important to know where the characters are coming from. At first it seems the root is revenge but as the story progresses, it hints that it goes beyond that, more personal hence the title REBIRTH. Actually the whole English translation is REBIRTH (THE CICADA’S EIGHTH DAY), a brilliant metaphor they used in the movie, which you'll only understand at the final scene. It's a recurring phrase about cicadas, that after nestling on the ground for years, they only have seven days to live, that cicadas who survived at the eight day must be sad or are they?
The pacing is slow which only fits its tragic melodramatic story but may bother some as it takes time to reach its destination. The chronological order goes from past present, the 4 years of them together and the adult Akiyama searching for traces of the time vague in her memory. What makes this transition from past to present brilliant is how both these characters are alike. We see them at the same place at different time which only makes more beautiful by its great cinematography. I especially like how they incorporate the cultural traditions during their time in that island, it's very cinematic. There's also a lot of close up shots showing the expression of the characters, both conveying void, isolation and aggression.
Two of the best female performances I've ever seen in a Japanese movie. I could only imagine that this would be Inoue Mao transition from a cute TV Star to a serious actress. Her portrayal of her character is subtle and very raw, very different from the roles that made her famous. This is without a doubt her best performance. Nagasaku Hiromi (Su-Ki-Da) gave the performance of her life, her motherly loved portrayed on screen is very engrossing that anyone would forget the crime she committed. They didn't have a scene together so it's mindboggling how come they have this intense chemistry. The supporting cast are also brilliant especially the kid, they wouldn't have pulled off a great dramatic scene without a great child actor.
Mother's day is just around the corner so this movie is so timely and that's why I made this review. This is one of the best motherly themed stories which could compete with the likes of "Mother", " Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad", "Be With You" & "Chronicles of My Mother".
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If there's a director who could rival Hiroshi Ishikawa(Petal Dance, Su-ki-da) in terms of the slow pace in a movie it's Naomi Kawase, and this movie of her is not an exemption. Having said that this movie could be the slowest movie you will ever watch so it's definitely not for everyone. You should also be in the right mood when you watch this as it is not that easy to digest type of movie. There are scenes that are full of ambiguity, and the chronological order became convoluted at the middle part, to be honest the way the scenes overlap from past to present too much is what I like the least about this film.
Even if you don't like the narrative there's no way you won't like the relaxing ASMR-esque vibe thru the visuals and the sound in this movie. There are only few directors that you would know whose film it is just by looking at its visuals and Kawase is part of that group. The aerial camera shot of the forest, sunlight dancing through the leaves, huge trees swayed by the wind like bamboo, tear-shaped falling raindrops, characters blend in a nature background. Kawase's documentary like camera work is also quite evident. It's no secret that Naomi Kawase movies are like the Makoto Shinkai of live action movies. It has minimalist music or almost no music at all; all you can here are the sounds of the forest, raindrops, chopping of wood etc. The movie did brilliant in capturing those sounds. Have you ever wanted to watch a movie and feel relax at the same time then this one is for you.
I can't say anything about the acting but brilliant. It is ten out of ten on that aspect. Nagase did a great job of portraying a strong silent type character who is longing for love. Binoche is compelling, plays this woman of words effectively, she always say fascinating facts in every conversation. Binoche is not your typical foreigner actor in a Japanese movie, just look at her imdb page and see her filmography. Nagase and Binoche have this unspoken chemistry together, they had converse in English a bit but there's something magical when they mix Japanese & French in their conversation, two of the best sounding language in my opinion. The best performance though comes from Mari Natsuki who played this self proclaimed 1000 year old blind woman Aki. Her peculiar characteristics played by Natsuki convincingly. She played the principal in Chugakusei Nikki, talking about a total 360 compared to that role.
Compared to other Kawase films, It is not as good as Sweet Bean, it even falls short compared to Still the Water, but definitely better than Radiance.
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A Fresh Take on the Zombie Genre
I've read many good reviews about this movie so I decided to see what's so special about it. I dive in with less expectation because the poster and synopsis looks weak, and also I am not a huge fan of the zombie genre. The beginning is a bit boring and to be honest very amateurish but as soon as that moment arrived I just realize the fact that this looks very low budget actually helps and I couldn't think it would work if they had the budget. I tell you this underrated gem is a cult classic in the making just like Fish Story when it came out. It also happens that both films have the best epic ending in a movie ever. The fact that I compare it to Fish Story says a lot to the quality of this movie. Best movie to watch with friends as this movie is highly entertaining and the best rewatch value I've given to a Japanese movie.I can't talk anything about the plot because it would be a huge spoiler even if I say a bit or even hint anything about it, let's just say there are three acts in this movie, first act is somewhat engaging but may get boring especially if you're distracted by the low budget-ness of the film, second is clever and fresh, and the third is the best and the funniest part of the movie. What I want you to do is dive in, give the movie at least 30 minutes and do yourself a favor and avoid watching any trailers because from what I've seen, all of them spoiled the movie.
This is the debut film of the director, Shinichiro Ueda, who manages to give this genre a fresh idea. He is hailed as a genius director from most of the reviews I've seen and as a reply, in one of his interviews, he said that he don't particularly like zombie movies and when people ask him what he thinks the future of zombie movies is, he told them he don't care lol. I don't know if he's a genius or this movie is just a fluke, but he would so god damn lucky if that's the case, like he's just a passionate guy who decided to pick a camera and started to do movies and as a result he is hailed as a genius and competes with koreeda in Japan's version of Oscars. His story could be a plot in a movie, reminds of that character in sion sono's "why don't you play in hell".
Every actor here is unknown. I checked their asianwiki page and most of them only appeared in this movie. There are parts where it's quite evident that they are amateurs, which actually helps and you would realize that after you see the movie, but there's also parts where they shown stroke of brilliance and that happened during the most important and the climax part. This movie became a big hit in Japan that most of these actors are now getting acting gigs and commercials and that's the best part.
A film that has managed to achieve something groundbreaking in the zombie movie genre, which you can find title "ONE CUT", a zombie film that has 30+ minutes long uninterrupted shot. It's not the same tearjerker zombie thriller like Train to Busan or the fun head exploding epic thriller like I Am Hero, but after you see this film you would value the technical aspects in a movie more and if you haven't seen anything like it would leave you in awe. An inferior Hollywood remake is inevitable. This is a masterpiece.
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This movie is a feel good movie, tho not a movie and tho I cant explain why, but this remind me of this one unique breath of fresh air drama called ozosaki no himawari. If you love this movie you will also love that drama in a way. The music....the music is not memorable aside from that samba music LOL. The chemistry between the girl lead and yonsuke is great...love the scene at the restaurant where she is laughing at him. The acting i was impressed with kengo kora, he just made yonosuke a fun character, I notice some yonosuke's habits when he move and i thought it is brilliant acting...I love his hair too.
The movie that will make you smile..and I thought the ending credts song great.
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Knowing koreeda style, it’s given that this will become one of the best family dramas I will have seen and I’m not disappointed. It has a lot of metaphors that makes me love Japanese cinema so much cause if you got what the filmmaker is trying to convey then the experience would be so much much different . This drama’s pace is really slow and probably the slowest I’ve seen in a drama but what I really like is the way it reveals about each characters bit by bit although it still remains open. But this technique of slowly unveiling the story is not much engaging as other koreeda films , it didn’t have that ommph that I usually loves in his film and that may be due to the fact that this one is longer which kinda destroys it’s momentum at least for me. The story that looks simple at first will only becomes interesting when the conflicts on each characters gets explained as it is tied with the main theme in this drama, it’s fascinating and original. My favorite would be that by Moe chan, I was touched as I learned why she had been acting like that. This drama's use of subtle humour is one of its strongest points for me like that inclusion of kuna in Ryota's Dream, they provide meaningful dialogues that really contributes so much in the drama. Also, if your into cooking you might find this interesting, they are presenting different kind of dish per episode as part of ryotas wife job and other characters too. My favorite would be Aoi Miyazaki’s ramen salad it’s really interesting cause I haven’t thought it was possible.
The cast here is not your typical cast you would see on TV as some of them are established movie actors that appears on critically acclaimed films heck even some of them are regulars on koreeda movies. Abe hiroshi(Ryota Tsuboi) who is one of the best actors in Japan plays the main role here, what I can say is that he is a naturally funny guy, his character can make you laugh without putting so much effort on it. Aoi miyazaki plays this mysterious beautiful girl in the countryside, it’s her character that drives the story at the beginning and probably my favorite character in the drama, she’s so damn pretty here just saying. Her passion to save her hometown is well played, subtle performance but I really felt it. It surprises me how I loved YOU character here she's flawed yes but she has her reasons and it kinda makes sense if you think of it, I should have despised it cause it contradicts on what I was taught as a Human being. Tsuboi moe chan is probably the most fascinating kid I’ve encountered in a drama, her curiosity makes her think mature at times but it’s her innocence that makes her think like that in the first place. It’s fun to see her tricking her teachers and classmates and also having mature talk with her parents LMAO. Sadao Abe not the one who monopolized the taxi business in the place but that kuna in Ryota's dream, I love this character a lot as he conveys what our main character is thinking while the story progress. As this is a family drama, chemistry between characters would be so much important and I really like what I saw. Hiroshi Abe and YOU had just became the best sister brother relationship in a drama for me, just like in real life they had misunderstandings and it’s fun seeing them pick on each other given how old they were, you could really tell how close they were.
Just like other koreeda works, this is definitely not for everyone, it’s not your typical Jdrama on TV, actually it’s quite the opposite. It doesn’t have characters with Exaggerated facial expressions, no pop music playing on the background, the pace is really slow it may bore you especially if you can’t appreciate subtle jokes and mild dramas, convoluted theme but not the storyline. It’s one of those dramas that would leave a profound impression on you, not because of how the drama impress you but the rather left you with powerful conflicting emotions.
I WILL GIVE THIS THIS DRAMA 8 RED KUNA HATS OUT OF 10.
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