Kimi to Boku Movie Review

Title: Kimi to Boku

AKA: You and Me

Genre: Short movie

Origin: Japan

Release date: May 14, 2011

Cast: Nakamura Aoi and Inaba Yu.

This short movie is about a young man (Nakamura Aoi) who struggles with life as a cartoon artist, and how he develops a relationship with a little cat he had found on the street. The story is followed through our storyteller: ”Gin-o-gou”, who is the cat living with the main character. It starts when the little cat gets lost, but is found on a bench by this young man who has recently moved to Fukuoka. He finds the cat looking up at the stars thus naming him “Gin-o-gou” (from a manga character about the stars (?)), and takes him while putting posters out so someone can take him home. The two eventually bond, and this story continues with the young man struggling with his dreams, but finding comfort in this sweet little being…

So, after watching a whole bunch of half- hearted movies, this piece of heartbreak suddenly emerges and makes me all snotty. I love this short story, but it would’ve been so much nicer if it were longer. The storyline, the main actor and the cute kitten made the 45 min pretty short, because I was interested most of the story though. That might be because I am an animal lover but also because I have a cat which I groomed myself from it was 3 months, so yeah... might have hit a nerve there. I can’t really say much since it really is short, and I do not want to spoil it, but I do recommend it.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Blackboard Part 1 - Mirai SP Review

Title: Blackboard part 1 - Mirai

AKA: Blackboard: Future

Genre: History, School

Broadcast date: 05 Apr 2012

Cast: Sakurai Sho, Oshima Yuko, Miyazawa Rie and Nakamura Aoi.

This is the first out of 3 stories about the school system changing in Japan.

In 1944 Shirahama Shohei (Sakurai Sho) proudly announced to his class that he would be going to war fighting the Americans in the Second World War. Encouraging his students to do the same after they graduate, he leaves filled with honor and pride, fighting what he calls the ‘Holywar’.

Three years later and the war has ended, Shohei returns home from the frontline, he is shocked how people from his own town are acting, and mostly how drastic the school system had changed. Losing an arm in a bombing situation, Shohei returns to find out that his father, brother and brother-in-law both lost their lives in the war, leaving him as the sole man in the house. Returning to school, he is offered a job, in which he decides to call together his former students, to see how they are. But out of 40 students 6 students join, blaming him for the loss of their friends. Realizing what he has done, Shohei starts to doubt his capabilities as a teacher…

Hmm, as I said before, I like school dramas, and I like Arashi, but somehow this didn’t go that far for me. It is very interesting, from a history point of view, but I didn’t really feel the ‘school’ in this. I liked Sho’s performance, and I enjoyed the special, I did honestly. But it was not what I had expected, and it didn’t really “fill” me, meaning I didn’t feel I got enough.

I can’t really say much, except that it has heart, and it shows a teacher growing with his pain and changing his life. I would recommend if you like history and if you like Sakurai Sho.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out 5 hearts