Hana Yori Dango (2008 Movie)

Cast:
Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi
Matsumoto Jun as Domyouji Tsukasa
Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui
Matsuda Shota as Soujiro Nishikado
Abe Tsuyoshi as Mimasaka Akira
Fujiki Naohito as Kaburagi Kazu

Genre: Shoujo, Romance, Comedy, Friendship, JMovie

Summary: After all they've been through in the Drama series which I didn't watch entirely *cough* Forgive me MatsuJun, I was distracted by AkiraPi and didn't... just find time to later on ^^', it looks like Domyouji and Makino can finally get married. They have the approval of Domyouji's mother, even, and she gives Makino a tiara, known as The Smile of Venus which legend states will protect eternal love, as a wedding present.

Unfortunately, it gets stolen.

Review: I read the manga (quite a while back O_o) and I remember that I found Domyouji sweeter and more adorkable in the live action, and Makino more annoying. This hasn't changed in the movie. If anything, it has enforced the image even more.

Matsujun is freakin' adorable, and is such a brat, but he clearly loves Makino, while Makino is all wishy-washy and generally annoying. It's entirely possible I'm biased *cough*

The movie has no real point, and the story line is kinda erm-yeah-okaaayish, but it has it's sweet (if cheesy) moments, and F4 (Matsuda Shotaaaaaa *______* ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥) makes for awesome eye candy? ^^;

Music:
One Love by Arashi
Kisshug by Aiko

Rating: 5/10

Quotes:

~ At SongStories ~

 

Note: This might have rated better here if I had reviewed it as soon as I watched it, while still on the OOH SPARKLES! high. Pity I am lazy and waited around three days before forcing myself to write this (in accordance to the #FictionalMemories2010 program.)

Tada-san, erm, Buchou, um, *checks* yes, Fujiki Naohito is also in it! And looks awesome. *__* I found it interesting that apparently he played Rui in the 1995 version. I need to hunt that down sometime, definitely. Domyouji was played by the Yoroshiqueeeen guy!
[Hmm, they managed a movie about pretty boys with out any Jyannies back in those days. Imagine that!]

Also, yes, MatsuJun, babe: ENGRISH (he can speak it!). XD

Gokusen The Movie

Cast:
Nakama Yukie as Yamaguchi Kumiko
Namase Katsuhisa as Sawatari Goro
Kamenashi Kazuya as Odagiri Ryu
Takaki Yuya as Ogata Yamato
Miura Haruma as Kazama Ren
Ishiguro Hideo as Honjo Kengo
Nakama Junta as Ichimura Rikiya
Kiriyama Akito as Kuraki Satoru
Miura Shohei as Kamiya Shunsuke
Waki Tomohiro as Kumai Teruo
Hayami Mokomichi as Tsuchiya Hikaru
Koike Teppei as Takeda Keita
Koide Keisuke as Hyuuga Kosuke
Oguri Shun as Uchiyama Haruhiko
Ishigaki Yuma as Minami Yoichi
Narimiya Hiroki as Noda Takeshi
Tamamori Yuta as Takasugi Reita

Genre: School Life, Teaching, Juvenile Delinquents, JMovie

Summary: The Gokusen story continues. Yankumi is still teaching at Akadou, although the last batch we saw her with has graduated, and she is in charge of a new class, led by Takasugi Reita. While she is still working on getting the class to warm up to her, she is also supposed to take along the new student teacher and show him the ropes.

To Yankumi's surprise, (and to the fulfillment of her passionate dream which has her even more passionate than usual) the student teacher turns out to be Odagiri Ryu (the pretteh), one of Yankumi's students from Kurogin (back in Season 2).

Yankumi keeps on believing in her students, as always, and they seem to be gradually accepting her, and all seems to be going well. However, one of Yankumi's students from the past year, Kazama Ren, suddenly gets caught up in a drug operation, led by someone who could possibly be Yankumi's biggest opponent yet. Through it all, she remains the same Yankumi that they all love and believe in, and teaches what is most important, once again.

Review: Ahhh, Gokusen, the things you do to me. This is quite possibly the most plot-less, pointless thing ever, and I still love it. I loved the movie to bits too, despite the utter ridiculousness of the timing/situations. After all, like I have stated on previous occasions, you don't watch Gokusen for the plot.

No, it's not for the pretty either, although admittedly, the pretties are very pre-teh. Tama-chan is so ridiculously cute. He was also, surprisingly, quite convincing as a delinquent, at first, but then he ran and I know I used to call Kame all skin and bones before, but seriously, Tamamori, boy needs to eat. Though he is still ridiculously pretty. Also, Takaki still runs like girl. XD Miura Haruma was as pretty as always. It was such a squealy flaily affair to see so many of them looking so ridiculously pretty one after the other.

Ryu gets his own paragraph of me harping on his prettiness because I say so. Damn it, Kamenashi is amazing. While I was waiting for the movie, I watched bits and pieces of season 2 because HayaRyuu are so bloody damn pretty and therefore so much win, and flailed a whole lot and was a general embarrassment to myself. I don't even care about either, because it was all worth it, and kwaaaa~ words fail. Anyway, the point is, Kame, in the movie, was so deliciously Ryu. Now, I do realize this is more foolishness on my behalf, because obviously, he is playing the role Odagiri Ryu, who else would he be, BUT! I didn't think of it, okay? Imagine my utter flail-squeal-melt-dying, when there is suddenly Ryu, Odagiri Ryu on the screen, all grown up, but very much himself. I remember hearing about Kame talking in concerts about Odagiri being this sorta character, where he has incredibly little reactions to things, and its so true. Ryu is indeed a rock. However, unlike the stupid diamond in twilight, he is the very epitome of a rock. The Epic Rock Who Pawns All. <3

It's so brilliant, though. The movie is so movie-like. (Yet another wonderful observation by yours truly.) It's more exaggerated than the drama series(es), Yankumi is freaking awesome, breaking walls and kicking cans through buildings and using Yakuza-ish words and delivering randomly passionate speeches without any regard to her surroundings. All the past pupils showing up had me flailing like mad and tearing up like anything because it's... it's touching, mkay? T__T When Oguri Shun's character Uchi showed up and patted Yankumi's shoulder and then poked her cheek with his finger like she used to do to them way back, I flailed a whole lot (although I was thinking all the while it should be Shin doing that, damn it, whaaaaai. T__T)  The entire movie makes you swim in cheese and I will eternally begrudge this for not even mentioning Hayato and Shin. I was just WAITING for them to make some reference to Hayato in someway, although I knew they wouldn't, and they didn't. *pouts* Though I'll be lying if I said I didn't flail around a whole lot enjoy watching this.

*cough* So I got side tracked for three paragraphs. Like I was saying, you don't watch Gokusen for plot. You watch Gokusen, because it's Gokusen. That's enough.

Music: Plumeria ~Hana Uta ~ by Aqua Timez

Rating: 6/10 [Although purely in terms of enjoyment, the rating could be higher, I will be petty for them not even mentioning Hayato. >3>]

Quotes:

~ Gokusen Quotes at SongStories ~

Note: I am plotting a behind-the-scenes/minor sequel to this. Titled HayaShin's Revenge. Where Hayato and Shin show up, complain about them being completely erased from existence in the movie, and steal their respective leading ladies (Obviously, Yankumi for Shin and Ryuu for Hayato) and run off into the sunset. That, and all is said and done. ^___^

[Ah, I just realized I didn't watch the Season 3 special. ~_~]

AND, call me slow, but it was only after publishing, and seeing the date that I realized I watched this on Kame's birthday. Fitting, don't you think? ^_~

Budou no Ki

Grapevine

Cast:
Yamashita Tomohisa as Shindou Yousuke
And three other people I do not know the name of (sorry)
*Edit* (got the names!)
Katagiri Kyoko as Matsushita Yuki
Katagiri Naoki as Nakamura Tooru
Sachi as Suenaga Haruka
Shindo Yosuke as a little kid - Nakajo Yui
Sachi as a little kid - Tsuchida Saaya
Toda Yasushi as Shofukutei Tsurubei

Genre: Family, Tragedy, Jdrama,

Summary: Naoki and Kyoko Katagiri is a married couple wanting to have children. They tried but failed and finally decided to adopt a child. But they ended up becoming foster parents instead. This movie tells the heartwarming story of the love between the foster parents and their foster children.

Review: Die hard fans of Yamapi should stay away from this, 'cause I honestly think you'll faint or do something equally pathetic. That is because he cries here. And yamapi crying... now that is the saddest thing ever. Hai.

But aside form Yamapi crying, there were all those touching moments between Yousuke and Kyoko. The soccer game they played together was just soo sweet. (though there were moments when I thought Kyoko was gonna accidentally step on the tiny kid ^-^)

Huge Spoiler!

Though really, why did he have to die???!!! Why Yousuke?! And the letter from him to his Mom was heart wrenching. Made me cry buckets! T_T And the barrette! The barrette incident was hugely touching too. *sighs* I just love this movie.

You guys should definitely watch this. I mean, I bet no one regretted watching 1 litre of tears. Well, this movie is similar to it to some extent. So yea, watch it. You'll learn something about love, trust, and all those other mushy stuff that makes the world a nice place for all of us.

Rating: 9½/10

Quotes:

All children have the right to be happy. No adult has the right to take away the light of hope in a child's eyes.

All humans have the power to love others. All humans have the power to be loved by others.

Yousuke: Um, hey mom...
Kyoko: What is it?
Yousuke: I'm sorry for breaking your hair clip, mom.
When I get big, I'll work hard and buy you a new one.
Kyoko: Yousuke...
Yousuke: I promise I'll buy you a new one, so wait for me to do so!

Note: Keep some tissues with you while watching this. I regretted not keeping some by my side since I was oh so confident in my ability not to cry. ¬_¬ So I had to make do with sleeves. And using sleeves is not hygienic.
Annd, Yamapi is choo kawaii in here~ ^o^

Kurosagi (Movie)

Cast:
Yamashita Tomohisa as Kurosaki (Kurosagi)
Horikita Maki as Yoshikawa Tsurara
Ichikawa Yui as Mishima Yukari
Kato Koji as Shiraishi Yoichi
Yamazaki Tsutomu as Katsuragi Toshio
Okunuki Kaoru as Hayasa
...

Genre: Action, Crime investigation, Crooks, JDrama

Summary: I LOVE the drama, so I was practically stalking crunchyroll, waiting for this to appear. Luckily enough, I was able to catch it two hours after it was uploaded (Reaaaly bad quality though T_T) and thus, was able to watch it before they took it off again, since am pretty sure it was licensed.

This is rather like just another, extra long episode of Kurosagi, the drama. There is another Shirosagi, one who uses promissory notes and declaring bankruptcy to swindle people. On one such case he swindled money from a woman, who has a young daughter who needs money for her heart surgery. Kurosaki contacts her and promises to swindle the money back. But this time there is a deadline suddenly as the money for the transplant has to be paid before a certain time.

The Shirosagi's name is Ishigaki, and he was behind some huge operation which greatly effected the Japanese economy some years back. And he was also connected with making Kurosaki's father bankrupt (therefore destroying his life) So yes, I suppose he is a larger scale Shirosagi then the others, a bigger fish, so to speak.

And there are other trials and realities Kurosaki must face of being a Kurosagi as well, but, more importantly...

Review: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY HAPPILY EVER AFTER FOR KUROSAKI???

There were basically, NO Tsurara/Kurosaki scenes. She could just have been a freakin extra! Well there was one, halfway good opportunity, but WITH NO MERITS. Damn, is it too much to hope for that the characters I adore live happily ever after? IS IT??? *calms down when she realizes she is sounding a bit too deranged*

The movie seems to center on Shakespearean tragedies. Macbeth, Othello and Julius Caesar seem to play a pretty dominant theme in this movie. So I can't help but wonder, is this perhaps some sort of premonition? That Kurosagi is also going to fall like Macbeth? Is he also going to be a once a hero, doomed to a tragic fate? It is very troubling. ~_~
Or maybe I'm just thinking too much.

For the first half of the movie I couldn't decide whether the movie was good or not. It did not make sense much, but it was really successful in bringing out moods, if in a bit of a haphazard way. But as it progressed, it made more and more sense and I was drawn completely into it and then at the perfect moment, everything fell into place. (Brilliantly ^_^)



Spoilers!

Although there was one thing which did not make sense however, that was how the atmosphere and everything was so damn convenient. {When shall we meet again? in thunder lightning or in rain? -__-'} And why were the sets and props for Julius Caesar left out in the rain? And HOW on earth did Katsuragi conveniently find himself in a coffin so Kurosaki could get a chance at threatening him with a katana in the rain (which was SO kool and made my heart pound. I mean, Yamapi, in the rain, in black, with that red scarf thing, with a KATANA. What more could my craving fangirl soul want? *floats away~~*)
Ahem. Anyway.

I loved the bit where Kurosaki had the katana pointed towards Katsuragi in the bar and there was this really intense atmosphere where I didn't even dare breath, thinking it was finally the confrontation between them, and then when Hayasa came, they went all, 'awww, you ruined the mood.' And then Kurosaki swiped the sword around and cut the shopping bag in half as he thought the sword was a fake. His expression when he realized it wasnt...

The main point of this drama is I guess, Kurosaki having to face the fact, that because of his actions as Kurosagi, other people are being affected. This fact is driven home when a person who was not his target gets killed because of a fluke. It was heartbreaking when he realized it. I really like how that aspect went on in the drama, although it was very touching, it was perfect. Because at first he was devastated but, he did not give up, he moved forward, with the determination he would NOT let it happen in future. He did not give up swindling either, and you have to admit, no matter how much you want him and Tsurara to live happily ever after together, that proves how strong his character is.

There was a nice bit of development on Katsuragi's background. Romantic too, suprisingly. Geez... I don't know what to feel about that old man, he is supposed to be easily despicable, but refuses to co-operate. -__-' I can't begin to imagine how Kurosaki feels, if me who is just watching this feels this confused.

Basically I loved this, although it frustrated me to no end. I adored how Kurosaki carried everything out so smoothly and coolly. Specially the part where he picked up the phone when Ishigaki called, and he was in the SAME room, and calmly pretended to be someone else. And about how he arranged everything with impeccable timing and planing. I don't know if it would have been possible in real life or not, but watching it (and Yamapi ^////^) made me believe it was possible, so for that, the movie gets a glowing recommendation from me.

It's definitely a must watch, (even if it frustrates you to no end due to the non conclusive way it is)

Music: Taiyou no Namida (Tears of the sun) by NEWS

Rating: 9/10 (I would have given the drama a 10, unlike Fably, but no matter how much I love the drama this is a 9)

Quotes:

It's okay if you run away, as long as you run as fast as you can.

~Kurosaki

***
Everything, it's just another notch as the clock keeps ticking
You only arrive at the final second when you give up
Life's a walking shadow

~Katsuragi

***
If, like Shakespeare said, "Life's but a walking shadow,"
until I die, I'll be a shadow.
Until I devour all the Shirosagi in this world, I won't let the curtain fall.

My name... is Kurosagi

I am a walking shadow.

~Kurosaki

***
More Quotes?

***

Note: I am looking forward to the next Kurosagi Movie, there SHOULD be one.
I'll place all my hopes that Kurosagi and Tsurara marry and get a specified number of kids whom they name after... umm... I donno, old man Katsuragi or something. Hey, maybe J.K.Rowling was on to some thing after all with the super annoying last chapter, sometimes you NEED to be told and reassured.
I understand now... *nods*

Kiiroi Namida

Yellow Tears

Cast:
Sho Sakurai as Ryuzo Mukai
Masaki Aiba as Shoichi Inoue
Kazunari Ninomiya as Eisuke Muraoka
Satoshi Ono as Kei Shimokawa
Jun Matsumoto as Yuji Katsumada

Genre: Life, Drama, Dreams, JMovie

Summary: Four young men, with not so conventional chosen paths in life, are brought together by circumstances and they develop a very strong friendship. Life makes them meet again, sooner then they had planed.
They live together, and are total struggling artists, to the point they have to pawn the very tools of their trade (pen, guitar, etc...) to escape starvation. After a while, they manage to get a hold of a substantial amount of money, by selling one of Kei's paintings and by Eisuke working as a mangaka's assistant. They squander away a bit of the money, but Eisuke convinces everyone to use the rest of the money to 'restart' again. He convinces them that they should dedicate the time, without worrying about how to get their next meal, to concentrate on their dreams and to try to succeed. So they spend an entire summer together in a tiny apartment, each dedicating the time to their own specific dreams.

Review: This is a very, very good movie. It totally exceeded my expectations. Since the main cast of this movie consisted of Arashi{Japanese pop idol group}, I was expecting a movie dedicated mainly to fan service, with shirtless anorexic bishie guys, funny little jokes and maybe a guy forced to dress in a girls dress or two. This movie totally threw my expectations miles into the ocean!

It is set in post atomic bomb Japan, in Tokyo, in 1963, and the essence of the time is perfectly captured in this movie. How the culture of Japan was changed by the allied occupation, and how a country with very simplistic and traditional values were adapting to the changes. There are little clips scattered through out which gives you a really good idea of the time period, and of what is happening then.

What I like about this movie is the fact that it captures the essence of the Japan that I have always been in love with. Quaint, quiet, minimalistic and a deep resounding silence which echoes with a kind of sadness. (Kind of like Japan in Mimi wo Sumaseba, but not quite). The laundry hanging off the balcony and across a rope strung in across the room, baths in bath houses, tiny cramped rooms in which all aspects of life are carried out from sleeping to working to cooking. This movie has it all in perfection. No, it's all so perfectly imperfect, which is what makes it amazing.

Spoilers

The movie starts with Eisuke Muraoka the more-or-less main character of the movie asking his friends to pretend to be doctors so he can convince his mother to leave her home town and go to a hospital in Tokyo to get treatment for her illness. The charade somehow works, and Eisuke is extremely grateful. They part ways, saying that all of them, will meet once they have made it in there chosen careers.

They meet sooner then they thought, and spend a summer trying to succeed with there dreams. To save money and to make the money they have last till summer is over, they try to cook there own meals and came up with the most amusing results, like actually burning a hole through the bottom of the pot they were cooking in O_o

The friendship is also very touching. When the other three guys show up in his apartment, Eisuke barely has enough money, and yet, he goes on and tries to find more work to do because he will now have roommates and he wants to be able to help them. He does not turn them away, or not help them.

So much else happens in this movie and all of it is so important that I am not even going to try telling it all. But I would strongly recommend anyone and everyone to watch this, its not your typical jdrama or movie, its so much more better. Granted, there are no quirky little themes or in your face hilarity, but its different, and totally and completely worth watching.

There is also a 'romantic' element to it although that too is tragic as it mainly deals with unrequited love and disillusionment, although Matsumoto Jun's character DOES get a happily ever after (He is the only one who does). But he is not really a main character in this movie either (At first I was really disappointed but the movie totally made up for the lack of MatsuJun.)

This is definitely not a happy movie. In the end, everyone has to face the harsh realities of life and they give up on there dreams, and choose more practical careers. Nor is it a movie of undying friendship, as they only meet after the particular summer once, in a reunion. It is not a movie that gives you the message that 'if you try hard enough, you will succeed', or 'if you are a good person, good things will happen to you.' Instead, it shows you life.

Rating: 10/10

Quotes:

I was just 8 years old when the war ended.
When I lost everything, not having anything to trust...
It was still one thing that gave courage to me& my friends...
that was manga

~Eisuke Muraoka

***
Starving is part of being an artist! It adds to the experience.

~Ryuzo Mukai

***
We can't have real jobs. I refuse to sell my body for money. (Referring to working)

~Ryuzo Mukai

***
No point in being lonely together. Isn't it easier to be lonely alone? no?

~Tokei

***
Do you remember? When you came back from your assistants job in July?
Back then you asked us,
"What is freedom?"
I remember telling you
"Freedom is doing what you want when you please. Eisuke does manga, Ryuzo does novels, Shouchi does pop songs, I do oil paintings."
Now tht summer is over, I quit painting, just like Ryuzio-kun has quit writing.
How ironic that our season of doing what we please has caused us to abandon just that.
We can't live life for paintings and novels.
If someone is there, we cannot help but do something for them.
If we are lonely we step out to find company,
we are just week willed ordinary human beings.
We were just week willed human beings.
There will never be a summer like this.
Never again will we shed the tears we cried this summer.
Never again.
In parting, I'll let the French poet Ryuzo told us about, express our feelings of farewell.
"In the face of my life all I can do is panic, such is my useless and pathetic youth.
Now, what we acquire along with our first wrinkle, is our trust in life,
this constant and this smile, which says,
'Friend, I know all about you.'
Looking back we learn, Life never deceives man, Life... has never deceived a man."

~Kei Shimokawa(In a letter to Eisuke Muraoka)

Note: My opinion of Arashi has definitely risen, before watching this, I did like their songs (although even I found some of the videos just hillarious) and I did like Matsumoto Jun, but I really did not care much about any of the other members. I only considered them to be bubblegum pop idols, but now I respect them more. The acting was superb. Specially Nino. I always thought he was this total hyper kiddy in the group, but he is reaally good at acting. The expressions on his face and his gestures were totally natural and he was really mature-ish in the movie

You can watch the movie at crunchyroll ^_^