Zíza

I like that the world of Department Q isn't embellished, everything dirty and vulnerable. That's why I was surprised at times by Kimmie's toughness, I couldn’t believe the kind of things she could handle, until it seemed almost out of place in this down-to-earth crime drama. But it actually didn't distract me to much while watching. It's more that I still can't get used to the pacing of the narrative in Nordic films (I've only had a chance to watch a couple of them so far, but each time they felt much longer than they really were). Definitely not a bad film; if you like dirty crime dramas, just jump right on in. A better 3 stars.

A dinosaur movie that you don't have to think about; if you happen to do so, you'll find it has a lot of plotholes. If you dwell on them, it becomes a pretty annoying movie; but if you get over yourself and think of it as just a children's story, you'll eventually find that it's not so bad after all. It's simply an homage to the original film by a fan who has added such typical fare to his homage as "I hate you, but I'll look at your tonsils for you", "I can handle the soldiers, but I let the kids get away", "look for the green and power-clouded brain behind all the trouble", "a loyal dog won't leave you". Just a popcorn movie with nice effects. It's got a twist here and there, and it ends with great conscientiousness. For kids of all ages. A better 3 stars.

A typical example of Japanese humor, but it wasn't pushed to the point of absurdity, which makes this series, each episode not exceeding thirty minutes, a very enjoyable romp. Everyone is beautifully wacky, references are made to various works and common knowledge (in Japan, that is), but it's still kept within the scope of real life so nothing strays from reality. What more to say. It's just lighthearted Japanese fun full of snow and cartoons. A very strong 3 stars.

A fairly good live action movie that put into the film exactly what I love about the subject matter – namely the personality of the yellow teacher. I was surprised at how much they retained and how well it worked, all taped together like that. It did get a little choppy towards the end (Takaoka + the mini Octopus), but I still enjoyed watching it. And I laughed at the same parts as I did in the anime. I just walked away from it satisfied. Yes, the teacher looks pretty artificial, but whatever, it's not real anyway. Ninomiya did very well in his role and his Koro-sensei was very good. The acting by the students was okay, of course Suda Masaki is just the best (you can see it best at the end on that tower with just him and Yamada Ryōsuke standing, a silly standing pose decided who was the better actor! :-D). So I'm looking forward to the sequel – shall we kill the Octopus and find out everything?

Basically, this is an atypical romance story with a sweet ending. You could say that a "dirty" place like an hourly hotel can bring joy and love into the lives of those who enter it. And if not that, at least it will help them finally realize what they really want out of life. A gripping story with erotic scenes (for example, I'm used to watching movies with the door ajar, so when the moaning suddenly started, I was a bit worried that my parents would come in, not wanting to explain to them that this is a festival award-winning film and not porn), which of course belong in the movie and are definitely not there just to shock the viewer or draw attention to themselves. Shota, as always, was great and I really liked the way he was able to play a poor guy beaten down by life who had basically given up. I also liked how everything fell into place and Toru (Shota) is very well portrayed as a character (i.e. it is clear to the viewer while watching why he isn't sleeping that much with his girlfriend anymore). The Korean couple was also great, the lady in question was a particularly interesting character. The same could be said for Suzuki (the great Minami Kaho) and her love interest, who is great at jumping on wheels in motion. It's a nice film. Well made and well written. The acting is very well done. Even though I’m praising it like this, don't expect some blockbuster you see once every 20 years. It's just a good movie.

If you've seen a couple of high school movies/series that feature two rivals in any sport, this movie won't bring you anything new. This is one exactly along the lines of how they imagine such a story should unfold in Japan (and perhaps elsewhere). That's not to say that it's a bad piece of work, I just don't think it's necessary to see it, because there are certainly better pieces coming out of the sports landscape. If you really like kendo, though, go for it. The girls did their best, they screamed hilariously (it’s just that a "kiai" sounds better coming out of a man's mouth) and the film took its pace to a simple ending. I don't think the pace of the narrative will suit everyone; it goes like a sine wave, up down, up down. Occasionally I would have stretched out some scenes and occasionally I would have cut some. I found the film a bit inconsistent. A weaker 3 stars.

There was only one thing I didn't like about the series, and that was the sometimes really bad transitions between scenes. But it's a TV show, so I'm gonna forgive it and fire off 5 stars right off the bat for good measure. I have to apologize to Satō Takeru at first, as I didn't believe such an acting gig was within his capabilities. Somehow he kept getting roles where he again didn't have room to show off, but here... he really breathed the character – he became the cook, the husband, the selfish one, the jerk, the father, ... just everything Akiyama Tokuzō became: whatever he was portraying. However, my heart was pounding for another character, and that was his wife Toshiko, played by Kuroki Haru, and played really well. Toshiko in her portrayal was elegance itself, a dutiful daughter, but most importantly a loving wife – a Meiji-era woman. I just have to commend the entire ensemble cast (Suzuki Ryohei as the older brother who basically allows Tokuzō to take his first steps towards his dream of becoming a chef, Kobayashi Kaoru as Tokuzō's first and lifelong mentor, Sugimoto Tetta as Tokuzō's father from whom he surely inherited an explosive temper, and others), the choices were really good, but it was just those two – each in their own way – that really got me. In the twelve episodes that the series has, we get to go through many years with Tokuzō, and there really are times when I'd like to pull him over my knee and spank him on his bare bottom. It's just that we also get to see him grow up and fight the adult world like a brave man. One trait will remain with him all his life, but time and especially love (for family and country) will grind it down. I admit without torture that some scenes really moved me while others made me laugh. Truly a series from life/based on life. While it is possible that some may not like Tokuzō and his behavior or expressions in the beginning, and some might even take it as overacting, but believe me, this is how the Japanese really act. They're just a bit more theatrical than we are. In other matters, they're a little more blunt. But that's a longer debate and certainly not one for this show. I can't forget to praise the sets and costumes – you can see that the creators have taken great care (for example, when Tokuzō first comes to Tokyo, there is no tram on XY Avenue yet, but after a few years it will be added, etc.). Then when we see Tokuzō, it's obvious that the suit doesn't fit him and is really bigger, because it's not his. In short, This was a beautiful show and I definitely recommend it as a historical insight into the time before and just after the war as a broadening perspective.

The beginning was a bit of a mouthful, but since I wasn’t a fanatical fan of the prequel, I didn't mind certain changes at all; on the contrary, I thought it was nice that it didn't repeat what has been said a thousand times, I'm happy with the result. At the beginning I thought Kubota was better, but then Yamazaki just got who this L was and started to outplay Kubota, and I enjoyed his L quite a lot. I'd say I probably even liked him better than the Matsuyama Ken'ichi one. Despite the weaker start, the finish was more of a pleasant surprise as it was packed with emotion. It certainly doesn't do its subject matter any disgrace.

Classic schoolyard routine – a new teacher protecting his new students in his own way, winning them over to his side so that in the end they save him (in their own particular way). Most of the adults were insane, and in the end the students were the most normal thing in the whole series (they even got by without bullying! in high school! in a series! Yay). But that's okay! After all, it's fun and it doesn't take itself seriously. After all, it's fighting supernatural beings on a TV show budget, so it couldn't have turned out any other way. But all the weirdness, a particular loudness of the teacher, and the same concept over and over again still managed to keep me entertained. There's no point in looking for anything deeper in it, it's just entertainment. Plus Yamamoto Mizuki and Yamada Ryōsuke were cool. A better 3 stars.

I liked the second installment more than the first, probably because of what Jirka complains about a bit – more people, more "business". I found it perfectly adequate. We were still cooking, we were still working, we were still lost in beautiful pictures, we still didn't know what we wanted. The ending clearly cut it open, and I was satisfied with the farewell dance. A nice 4 stars.