Hotaru no Hikari 2

[Rating: 8/10]

Genre: romantic comedy

After a three year stint abroad, Hotaru is back and ready to tackle the next phase of relationship with with her beloved Takano-buchou… or maybe not. The man of her life isn’t too pleased that Hotaru has barely even contacted him or replied to his messages, and declares he wants out of their relationship  unless Hotaru can get her act together once and for all.

Our beloved himono-onna is back and just as entertaining as ever. We also get a couple of new and interesting characters who I really enjoyed watching, particularly Sakuragi and Seno, played by Usuda Asami and Mukai Osamu, two of the new faces at Hotaru’s workplace. Seno surprisingly became the main reason I watched the show for. He definitely had much more personality than Teshima Makoto, Hotaru’s love interest in the first season. He’s a real joy to watch, and even more-so when it’s revealed that he is basically a male version of the ‘himono-onna’.  However his selling point is unlike Hotaru, Seno is much more aware of life and human relationships. He got along with Hotaru so well, in ways that Takano-buchou never did that I even found myself thinking it would not be a very bad thing if Hotaru and Seno ended up together. They’re closer in age and also share more common interests. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Seno in the end, it was really a case of bad timing for him. If Hotaru was not already in love with Seiichi and vice versa, I can see her and Seno together. Also Sakuragi as a love rival for Seno’s affections was more interesting to watch than the triangle between Hotaru, Seiichi and Konatsu. We got to see this new freshface in the office mature, take more responsibility in her work and also it was nice that she was never portrayed as the stereotypical evil rival, she really looks up to Hotaru as a sempai in the workplace, and I also felt it a pity that Seno didn’t share her feelings, but honestly, if it ended with Seno and Sakuragi together, it’d be a bit of a put-off for me, if everyone was paired off with each other. I don’t discount though, if Seno accepted her feelings after sometime, but just won’t have liked it if it was so immediate. With Seiichi’s old ‘flame’, Konatsu, while she didn’t particularly make a memorable character, I have to say that Kimura Tae was very classy and poised in the role. She certainly came across as an ideal traditional and gentlebred woman who can do anything and doesn’t look unattractive to boot. I like that she wasn’t portrayed to be an evil rival type either, she handled her own affections for Seiichi with admirable grace. It was also nice to see Ishii Momoka playing Konatsu’s daughter, Chinatsu, I really loved her in My Girl. Finally there’s the secondary plot of the budding relationship between Hotaru and Seiichi’s old colleagues, Yamada and Futatsugi, their comedy may have been a bit stale at times but it was fun watching them together, and helping their friends realize their feelings for each other.

In a nutshell, the cast of Hotaru no Hikari still knows how to put a smile on their viewers’ faces. I was a little disappointed that the wedding wasn’t the wedding that the promo poster made me hope for, but I shall hold hope that there is a special or movie at least to make it happen. It was a fun ride and proves that sequels don’t have to boring.

Himitsu

[Rating: 7/10]

Genre: family, drama

Based on the novel Naoko by Higashino Keigo, Himitsu is about a man, Sugita Heisuke, who who has to deal with the aftermath of a tragic accident that ended the life of his wife, Naoko and left their teenage daughter Monami in a coma. However when Monami awakes she claims that she is Naoko in Monami’s body…

I’m not really sure how I feel about this drama, it was certainly unique and interesting to watch. I have to commend Shida Mirai who played the role of Monami/Naoko, as she had to not only portray a teenager who did not realize her mother’s spirit was possessing her, but also the role of her own mother, who struggled to fit into Monami’s schoolgirl world and into the shoes and character of Monami herself without making other people suspect Monami wasn’t really herself. From the way this drama angled itself, the focus of the story was Naoko, as she comes to grips with the fact she is no longer alive, and that her family has to get on without her and go about life as usual, also that her beloved daughter is growing up and will face typical teenage issues, especially those regarding matters of the heart. No matter how hard Naoko tries to deter Monami and Souma from falling in love, fate has a different idea, and Naoko realizes that he isn’t a bad kid, pretty tolerant of the strange quirks she adds to Monami’s behaviour and sometimes even liking her more for them. One thing that was unavoidable but still did get me rather squicked about was Heisuke’s relationship with Monami/Naoko. You feel sorry for the man, not only has he lost his wife and daughter, but they’ve now somehow become merged, and the struggle to keep sane and properly balancing this new relationship is painful. Still, the fact was that Naoko did still want Heisuke to be intimate with her and that scene (which thankfully did not happen) was slightly disturbing to watch. Shida Mirai showed a much more mature side in this drama and that she has the potential to be a good actress in the future. She has a fair sized credit list to her name already but this was something different for her. It was also interesting for me to watch Sasaki Kuranosuke, one of my favourite Japanese actors playing a more emotional and angsty role.

This drama adaptation is certainly not as philosophical or deep as some reviews I’ve read of the book, and might not be to some people’s liking, but it is a pretty decent drama about family relationships from a more unusual perspective.

Thor
[Rating: 6.5/10]

Thor, God of Thunder and son of Odin is exiled to Earth when his rash actions undo the peace agreement between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, the latter declaring war on Asgard. On Earth he literally falls into the path of a team of meteorologists who become the target of a secret organization who want their data on Thor.

I’ve never actually read the Thor comics and really only know of the title character from the Norse mythology standpoint. The trailer what what intrigued me, and the effects looked amazing, and they were probably the best part of the show. The kingdom of Asgard just captivates the viewer. It is largely gold/metallic and emits that ‘heavenly/godly kingdom’ feel, with the strength and power of the Norse gods reflected in every part of it’s architecture. It is like a land of old warriors living in a futuristic looking citadel. The effects used for the fight scenes and special powers of the characters were fluid and worked well for the movie, I especially like the animation for Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, and the never ending bridge to the portal.

The characters themselves were quite stereotypical, but it did not make the story uninteresting. There were comedic moments to be had, especially Thor’s adjustments to Earth, like when in true old-school warrior fashion, smashed his mug on the floor as a show of appreciation for a good meal in a diner. There’s also something amusing in his carefree and optimistic nature and it’s good that the relationship between Thor and Jane actually had a bit of time to develop. The conclusion left a few openings for a possible sequel. What happened to Loki? Will Thor and Jane meet again? I also would have liked to see more of Thor’s friends, they could use more character development, though understandably, the main focus of the show is our thunder god. I actually quite liked Loki as a character, of everyone I think he had the most depth and it was somewhat sad to see what he eventually became. You can tell that before the whole fiasco, despite his denial, he did care for Thor to some extent. I also wish there was a bit more depth to Jane, sure she wasn’t the damsel-in-distress type of heroine who kept needing to be saved and she’s no doubt smart in her area of research, but as her name dictates, she was a rather Plain Jane. Aside from being the romantic interest to the hero, she did not add much to the story, aside helping Thor to grow up. That is not to say that she wasn’t a good heroine, it was her ordinariness that her more likable. The Asgard segments were more interesting than the Earth scenes. Still, despite it being typical of a comic book super hero adaptation, I would be interested to watch the sequel, and admittedly, Thor’s costume is much nicer than the usual skin tight suits.

Chonmage Purin

[Rating: 7/10]

A single mother and her son find themselves sheltering a young man, Kijima Yasube, who claims to be a samurai from the Edo period. During his stay with the family, Kijima finds that he has a knack in making pastries and decides to work as a patissier…

First impressions from the synopsis had me thinking this show is a sort of romantic comedy with a time travel twist, think Kate and Leopold, but it was actually more of a family drama with a time travel twist. Romance takes a backseat in this movie, the story focuses more on Kijima’s growing bond with the Yusas, especially young Tomoya, and how his time in the modern world gave him a chance to be inspired and dream bigger than what he would have faced as a young man in the Edo period. The characters themselves weren’t particularly stellar, but the show had the earnest family drama feel to it. The father-child cake making contest was very epic, especially the final round and how Kijima solved the problem. I would have liked to see more baking scenes, especially of him at the patisserie. Also, the ending actually managed to surprised me a bit, but it was no less heartwarming.

If you don’t mind a rather formulaic family drama then I recommend this, as a short movie you won’t have much to lose.

[Rating: 7.5/10]

The village of Daggerhorn is being terrorized by a killer wolf on a rampage. After it claims the life of an innocent maiden, the villagers decide to organize a hunt to stop the monster once and for all. However, the arrival of an infamous witch hunter brings even more alarming revelations about their supposed foe, who may be closer than they think…

As children we’ve been brought up by many versions of retold fairy tales and here is not only ‘yet another one’, but the trailer might make one think of that teenage series with the sparkly vampires, aka Twilight. I must admit that the trailer while looking interesting for it’s mystery/suspense element, put me off a little because of the obvious similarities (young people in a paranormal romance) but I ended up watching it because I am a fan of story retellings.

The story is set in a medievalesque looking village in the middle of a forest, setting up the dark and foreboding atmosphere for the show. One of the first scenes we encounter if of our main heroine as a child with her friend, trapping a cute rabbit for the purpose of making it into a fur coat. You may say that this is animal cruelty, but given the period setting of the story, this is what people would have done, even children. It was this scene which made me think that this movie was going to be different from the usual fairytale retellings. The essence of Red Riding Hood is kept, yet filled with enough new twists and turns to make it more than what I was expecting from the show. Yes there is a village plagued by wolf attacks, yes, there is a girl who will come into possession of a red cape at some point, but everything is played out in the form of a mystery. The appearance of Father Solomon, played by Gary Oldman brings us a step back in time to a Europe (presumably) plagued by the aftereffects of the Witch Trials, the villagers of Daggerhorn have to face a threat larger and more human than they imagined, and from this revelation we are plunged into a tale that could have happened during that period of history. Of course, this is no historical film neither does it claim to be, the village is fictitious, but if you’ve read any material about that period of persecution, you can imagine a similar story in source material. People who did not want to be incriminated and pointing fingers are others, spinning strange rumours of friends, family and neighbours they have known for ages due to this fear, creating a mass-havoc induced belief of devilry and supernatural craft from where there used to be none. This really happened, and this is what made this adaptation stand out from the rest.

This story is told from the view of Valerie, our main heroine whose family becomes the center of unwanted attention because the girl murdered by the wolf was her sister, who died whilst supposedly going to a secret rendezvous with the young man our heroine is pledged to marry. I do admit that I did like the tension between the two men interested in Valerie, even had their own strengths and weaknesses and honestly either would have made a good match for her. I liked that both guys weren’t totally cardboard cutouts, especially with Henry, the betrothed, who started out a bit flat and eventually proved he was a worthy candidate. The entire mystery atmosphere worked well in that I kept trying to figure out who the ‘wolf’ was. Even old grandmother wasn’t spared from being cast as a possible suspect herself. In the end, the answer was painfully obvious when I looked back at all the clues, but the slow revelations of each character constantly cast room for the slightest bit of doubt.

Is this film for everyone? Well, I think this would be a lukewarm hit or miss for most cases, while I enjoyed it, there is no denying this is Red Riding Hood with that teenage romance element that  other viewers might find unnecessary, especially for those wanting a purer adaptation of the tale. As I said before, after watching the trailer I did have my reservations as I’m not exactly into the current teenage paranormal romance craze, but I did like the unique twist to the story and turning it into a  mystery.

Inu wo Kau to Iu Koto
[Rating: 8.5/10]
Genre: family, drama

Hongo Yuji is your average salaryman and young father trying his best to make ends meet for his wife and kids. Their fate takes a turn for the worse when Yuji loses his job and his ex-band mates from school start pestering him to join their group… During this period of hard decisions on life, Yuji’s two children find a lost dog who they name Sky. How will Sky affect this family’s future?

This drama is one of those I might have skipped over from it’s ordinary sounding synopsis but am glad that I decided to watch. Sure it’s another family drama where everyone overcomes their troubles and the dog plays an integral role in bringing out people’s best, but that’s not just why I liked it so much to give it such a high rating.

In this show, there are no pretensions or highly exaggerated stereotypes with the characters and situations. The Hongo family is very real, they aren’t totally broke, but they aren’t comfortable either, they know that they are not rich, they get depressed about it, but they somehow pick themselves up and live through their struggles.

The young couple is strong in their own quiet way. Sachiko is really the backbone and firm conscience of the family, working shifts to help out, looking for a new job even though she gets pregnant a third time, not sucuumbing to the temptation to date an old schoolmate, Hotta, who is now a successful doctor, and who probably habours some feelings for her too… It’s because she values her family so much that Yuji hardly ever doubts her. Yuji may be a little too nice and trusting at times but the contrast is what makes him fit with Sachiko. He still harbours his longtime dream to enter a music career but knows he must provide his family with a stable income. He is also a loyal friend to his ex-bandmate, Hideki, refusing to sign a music contract with a company who only wants to cash in on him and get rid of Hideki later.

Even the children are very likeable characters. Though the story spans less than a year, they mature over the time they care for Sky and learn more about their parents’ problems, but still remain optimistic children at heart. Masaru especially, started out as a bully who stole another kid’s Pokemon cards because he was jealous, probably matures the more of the pair though more attention is placed on the idealistic and caring Mako, who deems herself Sky’s mother.

Of course we must not forget to give credit to the actors of this show, for it was their portrayal of this simple and earnest family that moved me. The primary reason I watched this show was for the actress, Mizukawa Asami who played Sachiko. I became a fan of hers since Nodame Cantabile and Iryu, this was the first main role I’ve seen her in and I was not disappointed. It also helped that I’m recently getting more impressed by Nishikido Ryo (Yuji) as an actor, and while watching this series their chemistry really shone, playing off each other’s strength’s subtly.

Sure, this show was nothing terribly dramatic, emotion-inducing nor did it have the most interesting plot, but it was heartwarming and the dog while having an important role did not take up the main screentime, which I found refreshing compared to other animal shows, every character’s screen time was well balanced. It did not have the kind of exaggerated happy ending where the family gained immense riches or something, and the future is still unclear, but the fact is that they lived through it and continue to do so.

Anyway, here’s what I’m currently watching

Anime currently airing:
Bleach (ep 326) – I admit, Bleach has become like lazy comfort food to me, it may be not so stellar at times but I do like some of the non-manga arcs and always like watching my favourite characters
C The Money of Soul And The Possibility of Control (ep 4) – the concept is intriguing, the short length makes it easier to bear with
Deadman Wonderland (ep 9) – this is another good example of something gripping, I usually do not really like survivor/battle-royale/prison type shows and a lot of violence but each episode is very gripping and I want to see how it comes together at the end despite already having read spoilers for the manga
Koe de Oshigoto! (ep 2) – it’s quite bordering on hentai, but it’s strangely entertaining despite being very cliche
Tiger & Bunny (ep 3) – looks like it’s developing as it goes ago, will stick on a bit more

Currently Airing to Try:
30-sai no Hoken Taiiku
Ao no Exorcist
Nichijou
Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi
Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox
SKET Dance
Steins; Gate
Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san

I have dropped recently (not necessarily current series)
Bakemonogatari (way too much talking, it started out interesting but turned out quite slow-moving, as a reader and writer, I like the show, not tell-all approach)
Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt (too repetitive and the humour was rather annoying after a while)
Shiki (did not really care for the characters, rather slow moving)
X-Men (just could not get used to them speaking in Japanese and Japanese cultural nuances in the transmission from western to asian audience)

Antique Bakery (korean, movie)
Army Daze (singapore, movie)
A Millionaire’s First Love (korean, movie)
A Teacher’s Diary / Lao Shi De Ri Zi (singapore/chinese, drama)
Beauty World (singapore, movie movie)
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (chinese, movie)
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (chinese, movie)
Dong Yi (korean, drama)
Good Morning Teacher / Lao Shi Zhao An (singapore/chinese, drama)
Goong (korean, drama)
Haunted Office (cantonese, movie)
Hello Stranger (thai, movie)
Hero (chinese, movie)
House of Flying Daggers (chinese, movie)
I Not Stupid / Xiao Hai Bu Ben 1 & 2 (singapore, movie)
Jade and the Pearl (hk, movie)
Journey to the West / Xi You Ji (chinese, drama)
Kungfu Hiphop (chinese, movie)
Legend Of The 8 Immortals (singapore/chinese, drama)
Liang Popo (singapore, movie)
Lover’s Discourse (hk, movie)
Masters of the Sea (singapore, drama)
Money No Enough (singapore, movie)
Moulmein High (singapore, drama)
Mulan 2009 (chinese, movie)
Musa / The Warrior (korean, movie)
My Girlfriend Is An Agent (korean, movie)
Red Cliff / Chi bi 1, 2 & Australian release (movie)
Return of the Condor Heroes (singapore/chinese, drama)
Shaolin Soccer (movie)
So Close (cantonese, movie)
The King and The Clown (korean, movie)
The Lost Bladesman (hongkong/chinese, movie)
The Maid (singapore, movie)
The Price of Peace (singapore, drama)
Under One Roof (singapore, movie)
Winter Sonata (korean, drama)

Most Probably Following:
Himitsu
Iryuu 3
Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko no Uso

Maybe Following/Undecided:
Face Maker
Juuri Dolittle
Keizoku 2 SPEC
Nagareboshi
Perfect Report
Second Virgin

Dropped:
Guilty Akuma to Keiyakushita Onna
Ogon no Buta

Others
Jyouou
Kenji Onijima Heihachiro