This drama was stunning - a complete breath of fresh air - and I just needed to write a review in the hopes that more people will watch it. I wish I could give it more than a perfect 10 because I really enjoyed it that much!

Right away, I’ll say that this is not the goofy romcom I was expecting it to be. Although there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and lighthearted comedic scenes, this drama gets heavy at some points and definitely moves into the melodrama category occasionally. But what made this drama so amazing is that it continually challenged my expectations of the comedy genre and the difficult emotions never felt unnatural. I laughed and I cried many times and found myself re-watching scenes again and again. The dialogue was fascinating, very quotable, and definitely gave me a new outlook on love and relationships.

It's the cast and characters that really make this drama special. Not only is the acting superb, but the individual characters are very complex and unique. Mikuri, the drama's heroine, overanalyzes and missteps often, can rarely reign in her colourful imagination, and is bold as brass, but that’s what makes her endearing and I loved watching her grow. Even the most minor characters shine in this drama! Each character is so well developed in their personalities and desires that you can’t help but root for everyone to find happiness!

Definitely don’t miss this beautiful drama!

Leggi di Più

This movie is a total perfect 10! I was pretty excited for this because I’m a huge fan of Tao, but I didn't think it would be THIS good! The synopsis and poster just don't do this fantastic movie justice! This movie takes a little while to get going, but then it really “takes off” (flying puns galore) and you'll never feel bored. I was smiling and laughing the whole way through!

I had no real expectations for the story, but was a little hesitant about the genre. I’m not really into sports themed movies because I often find they’re way too bogged down with cheesy tropes. If you’re like me, never fear! This movie strikes a perfect balance between sports and story, and I was completely glued to the screen near the end, holding my breath with excitement. Human-powered aircraft is actually really cool and the movie makes it look very thrilling!

The best thing about this movie is definitely the electric chemistry between Yukina (Tsuchiya Tao) and Sakaba (Mamiya Shotaro). They’re both so hot-headed that it felt like a genuine love/hate relationship and I was laughing my head off at their crazy attempts to outdo each other. Their bickering and yelling contrasted so well with their quietly beautiful friendship. It’s not a romance movie, but you will fall in love this couple! Needless to say I definitely fell a little in love with Mamiya Shotaro. This movie brought a really hilarious ensemble cast together and they made everything work. The comedy is top notch!

The music was also awesome! The periodic use of “secret base" was hilarious. I love that song and they made it both a comedic choice and a more emotional choice. I loved it!

Rewatch value for this one is definitely high. I would probably rewatch it tonight! Definitely don’t miss this movie!!

Leggi di Più

This drama had so much potential! The first few episodes were excellent, but rushed writing really brought the quality down near the end. It still gets an overall 8 from me for it’s strong start that gave me all sorts of cute butterfly feelings, but it just couldn’t maintain that initial wow factor.

The beginning of this drama was absolutely adorable! It was refreshing to see two adults be, well, adults about their relationship and the romantic chemistry between the leads was electric. But the plot really started struggling once it began focusing too much on the male lead’s perceived struggles rather than Asuka’s storyline. Despite his good looks and soft-spoken charm, he became such a noble idiot that I actually switched loyalties to the second lead, something I rarely do. It’s pretty clear that cutting the length of this drama had a negative impact on the script writing and subsequent character development.

Nishiuchi Mariya really carried this drama and I loved her portrayal of Asuka. First-time actor Yamamura Ryuta impressed me a lot too and I hope he continues acting. The supporting cast didn’t have much to work with when their characters got quickly pushed into random plots near the end but they also performed very well. There was so much potential!

Conclusion: It was a good drama that needed more time to develop its plot and characters. Not a must-watch but if you like cute and realistic relationships check it out!

Leggi di Più

I watched this movie at a theatre in Tokyo today and really enjoyed it! It’s a charming, simple little film that’s perfect for a lazy summer day. Definitely don’t expect any award-winning plots or performances! This movie is ultimately a very typical Japanese high school love story and it’s going to unfold exactly how you expect. If you like that sort of thing, keep on reading!

Firstly, I’ve got to say that the filming location for this movie (apparently Mie prefecture) is absolutely gorgeous. This movie made me want to drop everything and move there ASAP! If you like movies set in rural Japan like I do, you will by default LOVE this movie for the scenery alone. One word for the cinematography: WOW!

The story itself is honestly nothing that hasn’t been done before. Tokyo girl (Rio) goes to the countryside for her summer vacation and falls head over heels for the local heartthrob. Lots of cute moments and clichés follow. In fact, this movie takes every possible “summer” cliché and throws it in: sunflowers, blue sky, festivals, fireworks, barbecues, swimming etc. you name it, it’s there. One thing I liked about this movie in particular (compared to other shoujo manga adaptations) is that this movie doesn’t get overly bogged down with lots of forced melodrama or antagonists. Problems are resolved pretty quickly and the overall pace is good.

This movie has a lot of young actors. Wakana Aoi is really good here and I liked her character. Rio was gutsy and knew what she wanted. Respect! Sano Hayato is a little less polished than Wakana but he still impressed me. At first glance he’s not conventionally handsome, but his mannerisms were surprisingly cute and he won me over for sure. Their chemistry together was pretty good too.

This is a shoujo manga story so it's not meant to be taken too seriously. It's unrealistic and dreamy but it has its charms for sure! Give it a try if you like summer romance!

Leggi di Più

This drama is a lot like its characters: campy and self-aware, gorgeous and ambitious. Followers is trying to do a lot, maybe a little too much, but I really liked it and think it's definitely worth your time.

If you're familiar with director Ninagawa Mika, you know that she’s all about playing with bright, loud colour, and she definitely isn’t afraid to do things outside the box. This drama is dazzling, hypnotic and oh so gorgeous. Every scene is a complete sensory overload. You can tell that this is a high-budget drama, not only because of the great cast, but because every episode is filmed like the most eye-catching Hollywood movie you’ve ever seen. The music, the costumes, the sets, everything is so well done.

To keep it simple, Followers is about women working in the entertainment business, an industry that both loves and hates successful women. This drama touches on a lot of hot button topics that you probably won’t find on network jdramas: there are multiple LGBTQ+ characters, a LOT of feminism, women of different ages being unabashedly open about their careers, sexuality, motherhood etc, and not so subtle societal critique thrown in as well. This isn't your average network jdrama, that's for sure!

My only complaint (and it’s kind of a big one) is that the drama has a lot of characters and probably tries to cover too many storylines in only 9 episodes. 2-3 more episodes to develop some characters and tie up lose ends would have been great. It just felt like there was a rush to end everyone's storyline just perfectly, even though some characters probably deserved a bit of imperfection.

Last but not least: KOM_I was a total scene stealer in this drama and I hope she continues to pursue acting!

Leggi di Più