Yowakutemo Katemasu Review

Title: Yowakutemo Katemasu

AKA: Even if we are weak, we will win

Genre: School, Drama, Sports

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2014-Apr to 2014-Jun

Theme song: GUTS by Arashi

Cast: Ninomiya Kazunari, Aso Kumiko, Fukushi Sota, Arimura Kasumi, Nakajima Yuto, Hongo Kanata and Yamazaki Kento

When his professor is suspected of falsifying a thesis, the sponsoring for the lab Tamo Aoshi (Ninomiya Kazunari) is working at is pulled back and he is left without a job. The professor promises that in a year he’ll fix the problem, but that still is a year without a job for Tamo. He contacts his old high school principle for a job as a biology teacher in the same high school, and gets the job and is assigned a class. The school is famous for smart kids that enter Toudai, and the students usually score good results in tests. While being there he is reminded of the time he was at the baseball, and how bad how he was, which made him leave baseball 13 years ago. Still unable to let it go, he finds himself drawn to the baseball team that is so bad, the students are not even able to catch the balls. Still loving the sports, the six members that are there are yearning for a good coach, and find out that Tamo used to be in the school’s baseball team.

Set to get his revenge on the school that made him feel weak and leave baseball, Tamo declares to that very school that he will win against them, by having these students win against them. Now he has to make the team a team, and find a way to make them win even if they are as bad as they are…

Another Arashi drama with Ninomiya as the lead actor. To be honest, I was really excited to watch a high school drama, and a baseball one on top of that. Though I was sceptic about Nino being in the role as the teacher, I have to admit he is perfect in this role. Generally he is a great actor, and acting as a Tamo-sensei is pretty perfect for him. The male cast, basically all the boys of the team, are really good at acting and even raise the quality of the drama. I was a bit annoyed at Arimura, but I guess it’s her face, because her character was okay.

The drama is also pretty slow passed, so there really is not that much going on. Lol, when I finished it I actually didn’t really know what I was expecting, but it didn’t really have that much of a climax.

All in all a greatly acted drama, with a slow pase.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Moon Child Movie Review

Title: Moon Child

Genre: Action, Horror

Origin: Japan

Release date: April 19, 2003

Cast: Hideto Takarai (Hyde), Gackt, Yamamoto Taro and Kanata Hongo.

“Mallepa 2014. Resistance to new anti-immigration laws turned violent in Mallepa’s southern district. The area is mostly inhabited by poor Japanese immigrants who have been worst hit by the economic downturn. Such frustrations are thought to play a part in the demonstrations. Casualties run into the thousands but confirmation is still pending. According to police reports stability has been restored. As a Special Economic Zone, discrimination doesn’t exist. Mallepa’s founding principle is tax-free growth for people of all races.” (Taken from the introduction of the movie)

Sho (Kanata Hongo) and his older brother are orphans living in Mallepa as pickpockers, until they one day, meet Kei (Hyde) who happens to be a vampire. As Sho doesn’t care about Kei being a vampire, Kei starts living with them, and becomes close to Sho. Several years later Sho (Gackt) now in his twenties still lives with Kei and his friend Toshi (Yamamoto Taro).  Sho’s brother has become a drug addict, Toshi sells pizza with drugs, and Sho and Kei live off stealing from gangs, and manage to live pretty well, until one day when they meet Son (Leehom).

I watched this movie because Jenji one day told me that it was an amazing movie. Like, she honestly kept repeating herself every 10 min. That was maybe 3-4 years ago, but I didn’t watch it, because the storyline was nothing I would watch. And so the day came when I saw this file on asiatorrents, and I was like why not? I have to admit, I didn’t hate it. The story isn’t that good, and the length of the movie is so not fair to the storyline - seems too short - but I don’t think I would be able to watch more than the length it is. 

Gackt and Hyde are honestly trying - I think - but somehow it seems a bit overacted, though that might be because of the age of the movie. They are both trying too hard in being hot; Gackt is just too Visual Kei to be a gangster and Hyde is not really the best actor in this role. 

I don’t know if I recommend it, but I think it is an okay movie, even though it is 10 years old.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
I watched this movie a LONG time ago. I was only watching japanese drama, but not that many, but I knew a bit about Gackt. I do remember liking the movie very much, but yeah, now that I think about it I really don't think it was that special. It's just that Bunji remembers every word I have ever said no matter how long ago that was. So I cant really say that much about the movie. I guess it is alright. But really not the best out there hahah. I really have no idea what to say. Maybe you should just stick to Bunji's verdict. Hihih, so I'm really just gonna rate the same.

 ☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

GANTZ 2: Perfect Answer Movie Review

Title: Gantz: Perfect answer

Genre:   Psycological thriller
Origin: Japan
Release date:  23. April 2011 

Cast: Ninomiya Kazunari, Kenichi Matsuyama, Yoshitaka Yuriko, Kanata Hongo and Yamada Takayuki.

It has been some time since Kato Masaru (Kenichi Matuyama) has died, and Kurano Kei (Ninomiya Kazunari) has been working hard in order to get the 100 points in order to revive him, by taking care of Kato’s younger brother. Kei has been helping and grouping the new members who fight for GANTZ, but mysteriously a small GANTZ is ordering to hill humans. Masamitsu Shigeta (Yamada Takayuki) is a news reporter, who has noticed that some things aren’t right, the missing people and the blown up places. But everything becomes weird, when for some reason Kato returns and he doesn’t seem like himself…

Okay, better than the first one, but also creepier than the first one. Ninomiya is great as always, so is Kenichi, but I still don’t get the entire “fight the alien” part. It’s just weird! Though I had moments of shock, I was confused most of the time, not because of the story, but the flow, like it doesn’t make sense at times. Anyways, if you’ve watched GANTZ, you should watch GANTZ 2…

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

GANTZ Movie Review

Title: Gantz

Genre:   Psycological thriller
Origin: Japan
Release date: 29 January 2011

Cast: Ninomiya Kazunari, Kenichi Matsuyama, Yoshitaka Yuriko and Hongo Kanata.

Kurano Kei (Ninomiya Kazunari) was on his way to a job interview, when suddenly a man falls on the subway railroad. Nobody reacts except a young man, which Kei recognizes as his school friend Kato Masaru (Kenichi Matuyama), and decides to help him. The two manage to pull the man up, but get hit by the subway themselves. Suddenly they wake up in a room filled with 5 other people, who also say that they were supposed to die but woke up in the room, and that they cannot get out. When the 8^th person arrives, a young naked woman, a huge black metal ball announces where they are: they are here to play a game, where they get an assignment, to kill a target, if they do they get points… What they don’t know is that the targets are aliens and not easy at all…

Okay, to begin with, for what it is, it’s pretty cool, I mean graphics, storyline, and also cast and acting was amazing, but I can’t really put my finger on it. There just is something about this movie that feels off: At first I thought it was the actors, but then I realized that they were doing a neat job. Then I thought about the entire alien / battle royal feel, and somehow I didn’t like it, but it didn’t make the movie bad. Even the action and the “reality” of it was cool, but it might be that it just is a little too geeky for me.. Or something like that…

☆☆☆☆/ 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts 

Seito Shokun! Review

Title: Seito Shokun!
AKA: Attention Students! / Dear Students!
Genre: School drama
Episodes: 10
Broadcast period: 2007-Apr-20 to 2007-Jun-22
Cast: Uchiyama Rina, Shiina Kippei, Horikita Maki,Hongo Kanata, Okada Masaki, Watanabe Ikkei, Kobayashi Nenji, Masana Bokuzo Ishii Masanori, Uehara Misa, Shirota Yu …

Naoko (Uchiyama Rina) is the new homeroom teacher for class 2-3, a class that doesn’t trust teachers and who teachers have given up on teaching. There is a secret hidden in the school, the secret about why the students don’t trust any teachers. Naoko, the happy energetic teacher is very different from the rest of the teachers. She will give her everything to make her students happy and enjoy the time they have together in high school, but will she be able to break through to the students and make them trust a teacher again?

The drama had me right away. I usually like high school dramas but I can’t watch the same story again. However this one was different in its own way. The teacher couldn’t bond with her student right away and really had to fight for it till the end. She wasn’t just preaching but really tried to convince her students. It’s a quite serious drama, it’s not a comedy but really tries to deal with the problems. It takes the student’s side and really wants us to understand why the students cant trust anyone. They feel like only they can protect themselves and no one else understands them or wants them their best. I wasn’t bored at any part of the drama it was interesting watching. Want a school drama/teacher fighting (lol) then this is the one. Really nice.

☆☆☆☆ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict
This was one of my first, Japanese dramas ever watched, and I loved it. I loved it so much that I think I re-watched it 5 times, which I never do when it comes to dramas. When I started watching dramas, especially Japanese, I just watched High School dramas, meaning I’ve basically watched almost all of them. Out of all, this one was one of my fave, even beating Gokusen.
The drama is different than like Gokusen or even Misaki Number One, it’s not humor based at all. No fun scenes at all, but still catchy. It’s very recommendable, ask Jenji :P

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Aikurushii Review

Title: Aikurushii
AKA: Sweet
Genre: Family, romance
Episodes: 11
Broadcast period: 2005-Apr to 2005-Jun
Cast:Takenaka Naoto, Harada Mieko, Ichihara Hayato, Ayase Haruka, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Matsumoto Rina, Sugiura Naoki, Shiho, Hongo Kanata, Oguri Shun and Sawajiri Erika

This drama revolves around the Mashiba family of 7: Tetsuo, the loud father (Takenaka Naoto), Meiji, the free-spirited grandfather (Suginara Naoki), Yumi, the sick mother (Harada Mieko), Michiru, the clumsy oldest sister (Ayase Haruka), Go, the ‘almost’ yankee brother (Ichihara Hayato), Horo, the strong kid (our narrator)(Kamiki Ryunsuke), and Uta, the cry-baby youngest little sister (Matsumoto Rina). Horo has never cried before, or to say he doesn’t know how to, so as his mother becomes sick, and everyone starts to cry, he finds himself in a situation where he doesn’t know what to do. He befriends ‘the weird kid’ Nagumo Shu (Hongo Kanata), who lives with his single mother, and Sakamaki Nana (Shiho), who tries to make her guardian angry by doing stupid things.
The story focuses on how the family copes with the mothers hospitalization, and how there are big problems in different families, even though they live on the country side.

Omg! Like this star cast is UNBELIEVABLE! I guess this is how they became famous? :P
I loved the drama, though I have to say some parts of the love story kind of made me annoyed, mostly the Ayase-Oguri love story. It was sweet and all, but damn that girl had a fast change of heart. But otherwise, I found everything brilliant, from the fights at the dining table; to the search for “Rainbow-Soldiers” (if you watch it you’ll understand). And I finally realised what it means when actors shine through the screen. When there are a lot of actors, it’s hard to make all of them look good, which sort of failed for Ayase (though her performance was decent – don’t get me wrong I’m a fan!). Ichihara Hayato, Oguri Shun and Kamiki Ryunsuke shined trough, and made me like them even more.
This drama is TOTALLY a family drama, and it’s REAAAAAAALLY heartfelt, so if you want to watch something like that, this is a GO!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars.

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Yankee-kun to Megane-chan Review

Title: Yankee-kun to Megane-chan
AKA: Flunk Punk Rumble / Yanmega
Genre: Comedy
Episodes: 10
Broadcast period: 2010-Apr to 2010-Jun
Cast: Narimiya Hiroki, Naka Riisa, Hongo Kanata, Koyanagi Yu and Kawaguchi Haruna.

Shinagawa Daichi (Narimiya Hiroki) is marked as a delinquent, because of his clothing and attitude, and he doesn’t care to change his image. He has never lost a fight, except the fights against his family; a over loving mother , a mean sister that beats him all the time and keeps on putting him down, and his father, a doctor that doesn’t believe in his son. One day, he happens to hear someone call out a “super-fighter” ‘Hurricane Ada’, and he is immediately mixed up to be him.
When school starts, Adachi Hana (Naka Riisa) an apparent model-student tries to make Hiroki join class, even accomplishes it, but the class is not interested in having a ‘Yankee’ (delinquent) as a classmate. The loudest opposition comes from the no. 1 student, Izumi Gaku (Hango Kanata), who seems to have a rather surprising past. As Hana becomes the class president, she is notified that fellow student Chiba Seiya (Koyangi Yu) doesn’t attend, and hasn’t done it in a long time, the righteous and strong willed Hana takes Hiroki to go and help her getting him back in school. Meanwhile, Hana’s past comes back to haunt her as her ’ex-‘ best friend, Himeji Rinka (Kawaguchi Haruna) returns to fight her.

I am officially in love with Narimiya Hiroki! It has been a crush for a VERY long time (since I saw Innocent love and Bloody Monday – mainly Bloody Monday 2). Now I see him, for the second time, as a Yankee, and I love him in that role! He is perfect as a comic character, as well is good with the attitude. The only negative, in my opinion, is Adachi Hana. She is such a know-it-all, like she knows what’s good and what’s bad, sometimes it might be pretty cool, but it was just SOOO annoying in the long run. To put simple: this drama has two of my favourite things, Yankee’s and Hiroki.
If you are a Narimiya fan, watch it. If you like comedy, watch it. But in my opinion, Narimiya’s performance is worth 3,5 stars itself (the 0,5 are because it’s about Yankees)

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's Verdict
Liked the drama actually. I don't know why I waited so long watching it because it's actually pretty good. Fun too. And of course Narimiya, hahah, he was really fun to watch. + yankees. Or well, he wasn't really a traditional yankee, he was kinda a good yankee. It's not like he just fought just because he felt like it hahah. The story is pretty nice, a yankee who doesn't care if people call him yankee because he lives his own life and why should he care what others think and then a yankee who wants to live a normal life. I think the girl was pretty okay, sometimes annoying but overall it was fine. Definitely recommend it if you like yankees and comedy + NARIMIYA ! YEES! hahah

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3.5 out of 5 hearts