This review may contain spoilers
As a fan of the Blue Period anime I think the movie took unnecessary liberties with some of the characters like Ryuji and Yatori's 3 best friends. That being said the movie still overall follows the themes of the anime. I haven't read the manga so I am not sure how different the movie is from that. Maeda Gordon is actually perfectly cast as Yatori. I really liked his performance. The scene with Yatori and Shin at the pastry shop and the scenes with Yatori and Ryuji were very well done and we see the growth of those characters in those moments. Takahashi Fumiya played Ryuji and he was absolutely stunning. Another great performance by him as well. However, I feel like his character's arc was rushed.
It's a better movie in my opinion if you haven't watched the anime. If you have seen the anime you can't help but compare and find the inconsistencies and flaws. It's worth a watch, all the same though.
2/25/25
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Action packed and well paced
I enjoyed this film immensely. The writing, action, acting were well executed and I wanted more. It seems I may get my wish after all. Also looks like there was a prequel in 2015, if it is anything like this one, Then I'm sure it will be great. Looking forward to watching it and any future projects from this franchise!Was this review helpful to you?
"You can't get hung up on morals, you'll just feel remorse"
Corporate espionage handled with all the finesse of the yakuza took place in The Black Test Car. Not lovers, families, or morals were more important than the mission to bring the Pioneer sports car into production and beat the competition. “It’s all about winning.”Onoda leads the team to get the Pioneer sports car produced and keep its identity a secret. Much time and money has been invested in it, but he discovers that their larger rival, Yamato, may have placed a spy in their midst. His trusty sidekick, Asahina, is equally ambitious and loyal to the company. Their nemesis is Mawatari, an ex-spy who worked for the Imperial Army in Manchuria. Both companies employ dirty methods to steal information-bribery, blackmail, intimidation, prostitution, and outright theft. Nothing seems to be too low or too devious in their efforts to come out on top.
Rank capitalism and devotion to duty brought out the worst in all of the characters. Onoda made it clear from the beginning, that he would sacrifice anything or anyone for the Pioneer. Asahina started out much like his boss, even pressuring his girlfriend to prostitute herself to glean information from the duplicitous Mawatari. Takamatsu Hideo glided Onoda easily between devilishly charming and ruthlessly frightening. Tamiya Jiro’s Asahina walked the fine line between being blindly selfish to conflicted as he realized the harm he’d done to someone he loved. Asahina’s girlfriend, Masako, was poorly written. She was there for Asahina’s character growth and as a sexual object rather than a woman with any consistent actions.
Director Masumura Yasuzo made a stylish film with aggressive music reminiscent of Godzilla’s Ifukube Akira. The acting was stellar. My problem was that I had no one to root for. Both teams were reprehensible in their espionage and sabotage efforts. Asahina took steps to distance himself from the gangster methods that ruined and ended lives, yet I disliked him the most for his efforts to manipulate and pimp out the woman he claimed to love. The competition between the industrial spies may have been all about winning, but in the end, they were all losers to me.
"It's a rock, but it has more warmth than you."
25 February 2025
Trigger warnings: Sexual scenes, though no overt nudity, and one bordering on assault
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This review may contain spoilers
Could Have Been Better.
This is probably my least favorite SPEC sequel. The story became confusing with the sudden introduction of prophecies and the unnecessary return of Ninomae, who’s still being used by the villains.Sebumi frustrated me the most — after all the seasons and sequels, he’s had no real character development. He remains mostly useless, always acting as a shield for Touma. His survival feels like pure plot armor — with injuries like peeled skin, multiple gunshots, and nails all over his body, there’s no way he should still be standing. Despite everything, he never truly contributes to the fight.
The story felt all over the place, and the enemies were weak and unmemorable. Their powers, like the fire-and-ice woman and the guy with octopus-like weapons, were underwhelming.
The only consistently well-written character here is Touma. This was the weakest sequel so far, but I’m still holding out hope that the next one improves the plot and brings some much-needed clarity.
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More people need to watch it!
The Time of Huannan is an emotional rollercoaster that’ll definitely make you cry. The story concept is intresting , it really feels like we’re experiencing everything with the main character as he's discovering his Father's past life and his friends group. The 90s setting adds a cool atmosphere, making it even more immersive. I’m still confused about Liu Yonghui and Chen Baodeng’s past connection, but that mystery adds to the film’s impact. The cast were amazing loved seeing them in this movie, and overall, this is easily one of the best Taiwanese movies I’ve seen. Definitely a must-watch!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
DROOLING OVER KIYOKA!! haha
BEAUTIFUL STORY! ✨A GOOD Mix of Love, Family Drama and Fantasy.
*** TITLE:
The Title "My Happy Marriage" itself makes u feel Happy and Warm :)
(My cousin sis n I make fun about it, everytime that in real life, marriages are never happy😂
Also, another Title for this movie, "As Long As We Both Shall Live" is just saying "FOREVER", in a lengthy way :) )!
INITIALLY that same title made me SKEPTICAL to watch, thinking it would be some Boring Drama but when I came to know about the FANTASY Element and concept of Supernatural Powers in the story, I Rushed n I'm in! :)
Fantasy n Supernatural genres are always fun to watch.
*** STORY :
The Story of a helpless young lady Miyo (with Supernatural power but dormant here), being treated as a servant maid in her own house by her step mom, tortured by her half sister, being arranged a marriage alliance with a rude Lord Kiyoka Kudo (has special Supernatural powers) by elders and is sent to his house even before the wedding.
The story of how they get along,
How Love develops between them,
How their marriage alliance helped them to grow individually and also together in each other's company and mutual support &
Finally, How they found their happily ever after, together.
*** CHARACTERS & ACTORS:
Kiyoka - Miyo are a Power couple! 💕
They COMPLETE n COMPLEMENT each other 🥰
He became soft n kind bcz of Miyo, while her confidence is boosted up bcz of Kiyoka.
Their Couple proves that even an arranged marriage between two complete strangers, can work out beautifully, though bumpy, initially .
Their Beautiful Love Story proves that U can find ur TRUE and STRONG LOVE even when u are in a completely impossible situation :)
And gives a HOPE that sometimes Love will bring Good Changes in Life n not always Bad! :)
Ren Meguro is Cute ;) and the actress named Mio in real life and playing character Miyo, both names being the same is funny sweet.
Both played their roles well.
Their chemistry is Good and their height difference is cute :)
***
Watched the Anime adaptation (S1) from the novel first n LOVED it to the CORE.
It's FLUFFY, WARM n SWEET :) , in terms of Love story,
FUNNY (sarcastic), in terms of Family Drama (remember, Miyo's step mom n half sis' dirty politics at home, God! :/ )
and AWESOME, in terms of Fantasy and Supernatural powers (the lightning and sparks produced by Kiyoka to save Miyo are Fire! 🔥😏)
So Overall, THIS STORY IS JUST WOW !! ✨
And then this Live action MOVIE adaptation, it's VERY GOOD but not the BEST and AWESOME like the Anime.
It's just so bcz story-wise, MANY points are MISSING here.
Felt Rushed, the required SLOW BUILD UP n the CORE VIBE of the story, are MISSING here :(
For eg, the WOW factor that u feel where Kiyoka burns Miyo's house down with his Supernatural power - lightning & saves her etc - is GOOD here
But that is WOW & U get GOOSEBUMPS in Anime.
The slow build up that u need to feel that Miyo has to be saved from that family only by Kiyoka, even if it is by burning or killing and so when he did so, that entire scene, that core vibe is Missing here n is felt in Anime.
(I know that it's Difficult to Adapt Everything into a Movie :/
So Mr.Director, plss, better Adapt this story into a LIVE ACTION DRAMA with the ENTIRE STORY of Kiyoka - Miyo n with the SAME CAST !! 🥰)
Cinematography of the movie is Good.
*** RATING:
9 /10 for the Movie
9.5 /10 for the Anime, just bcz more story from the novel, is being adapted into Anime, since I want more of Kiyoka n Miyo :)
And OVERALL, 10 /10 FOR THE STORY!! :)
DON'T MISS to watch both the Movie n Anime.
*** Some Fangirling Moments, haha:
I WANT MY OWN KIYOKA!! 💕 ;)
Currently watching Anime, S2 (Ongoing)
I made my Mom to watch both the seasons of Anime ;) n now she knew why I chose that display name of mine 😂
UPDATE: This review was written when the Anime, S2 was ongoing and when my MDL display name was "MyKurosawaDarcyKiyokaRui" :)
Still sitting here, DROOLING OVER KIYOKA🤤 and Waiting for a full Live Action Drama adaptation of both seasons of Anime with the same cast Ren & Mio!
P.S. I have similar hair cords (threads) like that of Kiyoka, they are lovely :)
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I, however, found it artificial in terms of story and visuals, and too on the nose. The characters sometimes moved through the scenery like puppets placed on a stage. Or like a pop-up picture book, if you will.
The scenes -- following parallels of life stages and seasons -- and the sub-stories felt clichèd and stale, the visuals were Ghibli-like, but without the depth Ghibli brings.
Do not look for any kind of realism here -- I mean, how would a café like this work without going bankrupt within the first year?
Especially the ending was so contrived I thought my eyes would roll out of their sockets.
(I waited for the moment that everything would be revealed as a picture book written by the main character, which would have made sense at least, but no!)
So,
Did I like it? -- No.
Was it good? -- It had high production value, and acting was superb (as expected from these actors). The story was a miss for me, but as I said, it will be loved by others.
Would I recommend it? -- Not really, no. Only if I know that the specific person loves these kinds of gentle and soft stories and is looking for something, what did people call it? "healing and heart-warming".
P.S.
Also, as a German, I have *opinions* about bread. Half of what he baked might have been パン but it was certainly not bread.
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°Avg° TransMOOT⛔Exit@ NEXT Stop~?~FMA Brotherhood 5.5
The only value in watching this movie is for a quick review of the story, only if you've watched Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood already, w/o having read the mangas (Japanese comics and graphic novels). Be warned, it's not worthy enough for even that.It will not give somebody unfamiliar with the story anything worthwhile in terms of appreciating this intelligent tale, which might be more akin to a complex philosophical metaphor. So don't bother, if that's what you hope to get.
The one element that's worth seeing for its own merit is the army of created humanoids that are powered by souls extracted from real humans. They appear with about 20 minutes to go in the film, give or take, and they're 5 minutes of cool.
FYI, FMA Brotherhood was made after the original source material was released. The original FMA animated series is very popular as well, but it's not currently available via general (non-niche) streaming services, (if at all) so I haven't been able to see it yet. Since it was crafted before the original source material was completed, it takes a fork in the road and ends up at a different destination, per reports.
This story can't be coerced into movie length. A full outline likely couldn't be reviewed in 90 feature length minutes. Skip this, and jump on the train to excellence: FMA Brotherhood is fantastic. That's the one to watch.
Originally 〰️🖊 April 2022
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A 9.5/10 horror. Loved the ensemble cast in this genre
I love Horror genre.This is a SERIOUS HORROR.
May not contain Jump Scares but is truly SCARY PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
The Vibe is DARK n gives CHILLS.
Will truly feel "The Ghost in the air, everywhere" sort of scary vibe, haha
It is not the usual easy-going ghost story as in horror comedy or not the usual easy horror trope, in which, a ghost possesses someone related to the protagonist n the protagonist with some help, wards it off easily.
***** CHARACTERS:
Here, though the Protagonists are not the family members of the Possessed, they really struggle hard to save the person, risking their own lives.
The STRUGGLE involved, everyone DESPERATE to SAVE is TIRING.
At some point, the characters may be left with no clue or no way to Save or Survive, all remain Helpless! :(
LOVED the TEAM WORK n Hard Work of all the characters!
Constantly, Keeps one on the Edge of one's Seat while watching them struggling hard n running around desparately to ward off the evil spirits
And creates a NAIL BITING Tension n Suspense, doubting how they will Save n Survive! :o
Haha, that Evil Spirit is a dirty one, not only insults with mind-twisting words to manipulate the minds, also tries to weaken the person whoever interacts with it :/
*****
Well Directed and well Acted by everyone.
CINEMATOGRAPHY is AMAZING.
This reminds me of the famous serious horrors that are psychological scary horrors, where Protagonists Struggle a lot to Save the Possessed, like
"The Exorcist" or few James Wan's horror movies ("Conjuring", "Insidious")
or Korean horrors "The Priests", "The Wailing"
or Thai horror anthology series "Angkhan Khlumpong" (all stories in this are serious n scary) etc.
***** ACTING:
Loved to watch the ENSEMBLE CAST in this genre.
(All my fav actors n actress :) )
Choi Min Shik never disappoints in delivering a good quality acting performance, whether it's a dark role or a psychopathic or a Serious Saviour like here :)
BTW, He in psychopathic roles, Scares Me!! 🤭
But Loved him here :)
U can feel a bit of relief, when U see him around, especially in scary or serious helpless situations here.
Kim Go Eun is as usual pretty n acted her role well.
It is so refreshing to see her in a Shaman role, performing the ritual n reciting all those ritual prose / songs / chants / prayers.
Lee Do Hyun is so handsome with that hair bun n tattoos, giving a Bad Boy Vibe! 😏
Kim Jae Chul is handsome ;)
CHASING AWAY an EVIL SPIRIT is TIRING for the Famous Actors too (Joking!! the Hype) 😂
*****
Rating - 9.5 / 10
(0.5 extra for Cinematography :) )
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Poor baby piggy! CHASING AWAY an EVIL SPIRIT is damn TIRING, haha
I love Horror genre.This is a SERIOUS HORROR.
May not contain Jump Scares but truly SCARY PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
The Vibe is DARK n gives CHILLS.
Will truly feel "The Ghost in the air, everywhere" sort of scary vibe, haha
It is not some easy-going Ghost story or the usual horror trope, where there's a ghost possessing someone related to the protagonist n the protagonist with some help, wards it off easily.
*****CHARACTERS:
The Protagonists are not the family members of the Possessed.
They are the Priests who are Struggling Hard to save the person, risking their own lives .
The STRUGGLE involved, the priests DESPERATE to SAVE is TIRING.
At some point, the characters may be left with no clue or no way to Save or Survive, all remain helpless.
Constantly, Keeps one on the Edge of one's Seat, watching the MLs struggling hard n running around desparately to ward off the evil spirit
And creates a NAIL BITING Tension n Suspense, doubting how they will Save n Survive!
Haha, that Evil Spirit is a dirty one, not only insults with mind-twisting words to manipulate the minds, also tries to weaken the person whoever interacts with it.
*****
Well Directed and well Acted.
Good Cinematography too.
Both the Main Leads in Priests roles, performed well.
Dong Won reciting the ritual lines in Spanish, while exorcising, is Good
This reminds me of the famous serious horrors that are psychological scary horrors, where Protagonists Struggle a lot to Save the Possessed, like
"The Exorcist" or few James Wan's horror movies ("Conjuring", "Insidious")
or Korean horrors "Exhuma", "The Wailing"
or Thai horror anthology series "Angkhan Khlumpong" (all stories in this are serious n scary) etc.
****
Finally, U will be relieved in the end, when the priests are finally done with the chase n saved the possessed person.
CHASING AWAY an EVIL SPIRIT is damn TIRING for the Famous Actors too (Joking!! The Hype) 😂
Poor baby piggy! :|
****"
Rating - 9 / 10
(Check out my Review for the spin off movie "DARK NUNS " too:
https://mydramalist.com/profile/KeeShaMDL/review/527332
)
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A SCARY PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR!
(Be AWARE of lil EXPLICIT CONTENT!)I love Horror genre.
This is a SERIOUS HORROR.
May not contain Jump Scares but truly SCARY PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
It is not some easy-going Ghost story or the usual
light horror trope.
The Vibe is DARK n gives CHILLS.
Will truly feel "The Ghost in the air, everywhere" sort of scary vibe, haha 😱
***** CHARACTERS:
Some CHARACTERS are DARK n DISTURBING!
The PROTAGONIST being related to the Possessed, TAKES GREAT PAIN n EFFORT to Save his close ones.
The STRUGGLE involved, ML DESPERATE to SAVE is TIRING :|
At some point, ML may be left with no clue or no way to Survive or Save his little one n remains helpless.
Chasing away an evil spirit is tiring 😂 :(
Constantly, Keeps one on the Edge of one's Seat, watching the ML struggling hard n running around desparately to ward off the evil spirit, to save his baby gal
And creates a NAIL BITING Tension n Suspense, doubting how they will Save n Survive!
Haha, that Evil Spirit is a dirty one, not only insults with mind-twisting words to manipulate the minds, also tries to weaken the person whoever interacts with it.
*****
Well Directed and well Acted.
Good Cinematography too.
This reminds me of the famous serious horrors that are psychological scary horrors, where Protagonists Struggle a lot to Save the Possessed, like
"The Exorcist" or few James Wan's horror movies ("Conjuring", "Insidious")
or Korean horrors "The Priests", "Exhuma"
or Thai horror anthology series "Angkhan Khlumpong" (all stories in this are serious n scary) etc.
Oh My God, That ENDING! :(
*****
Rating - 9 / 10
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Not what I expected but I enjoyed it a lot
Yeah definitely go in blind.I wanted to watch this because I saw the poster and photos and thought it would be cute and interesting, and it definitely was interesting! Just not in the way I expected.
It has a pretty good story (albeit the very obvious… material…. at the beginning LMAO they knew what they were doing) and it kept me interested the whole way through.
As someone who normally doesn’t enjoy movies, I surprisingly would reccomend! It’s relatively short so that’s nice too heh
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WASTE OF TIME!
I understood the message that was being conveyed with the whole story, except for how it ended. Honestly, this movie was just a big waste of time if you ask me. FL was just too submissive and succumbed to everything the MLS were doing. She let herself be taken advantage of multiple times. The MLS were nothing but toxic; neither of the three were good at using personal information against her to manipulate and use her. It was messed up, but for her to end up choosing one out of the three blew me away because neither of the three guys were good in my opinion. They all hurt her.Was this review helpful to you?
Exciting, Action Packed, Thrilling and Fun
This film was wonderful and I loved it. The soundtrack was brilliant, the MC was likable and I loved the fight scenes. The climax was a work of art in my opinion, and I'm so impressed by it, I was literally on the edge of my seat while watching it. I felt that the ending fell flat and was a bit anticlimactic, comparatively, so really I shouldn't be Rating this 9.5 stars, but I really loved the entire rest of the film, so screw it.I highly recommend watching this, especially if you're a fan of the genre, but be warned about some dark themes!
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