Zíza

And here we are, in the last chapter. The hero comes back on the scene (and with stule, if you ask me), confirming what I've suspected since the first episode – who Tomodachi is. We've jumped to the year 2017, killed about a third of the world's population, but we're still doing great! Sure, it started picking up speed again, and the running time pretty much killed it again, but who cares! There's a robot! A virus! Heroes! Obi-wan Kenobi! Twins played by Sano Shirō! A light serving of plot holes! A mother! The fat guy survived (which would never happen in the U.S.)! An Enka singer! Comedy! Action! Even drawn-out scenes! And an ending that wasn't as sappy as it could have been! And watch until the very end, because the movie keeps going during the credits! And I'm writing an awful lot of exclamation points! I'm glad to see so many quality actors together, because that's what made the film series successful and watchable. But I probably wouldn't recommend watching the whole film series in one sitting, you can get really fed up with it. I sure felt that way (I would never have watched the other two right after the first one myself, but I was pushed into it by my dear other half, who I hardly ever watch movies for, but this one I just had to, and right away, and in one go, come on come on).

I'm not familiar with the Korean version, and I have a feeling I won't be watching it anytime soon, but that's certainly not a bad thing. I enjoyed it, wondering what was behind it all. There was one twist I wasn't expecting, but then it all started to make sense and everything clicked where it was supposed to, and I figured it out. It's definitely an interesting crime story. It is very suspenseful; more than anything else it plays with the psychology of everyone involved, and plays it well. Back that up with solidly played characters and you have a great show. With a very interesting and captivating soundtrack. I honestly felt like this kind of background music would have been more suited to a horror movie, but all things considered, this is a horror movie as far as the survivors are concerned.

I was expecting something a little different from this since it's gotten such accolades. I admit the beginning was fine. A bit slow, and it still hasn't been revealed what's going to follow when they say their piece – it's mutual. It's just that from about the third or fourth episode onwards, it slowly fell into the classic Shōjo template. The characters, the plot, everything. Some might argue that it doesn't matter, and I would agree if it weren't presented as something cool, something with added value. Which the show doesn't really have. The Japanese have done plenty of work about gay people, in fact some of those series got the same awards, just in previous years (Kinō Nani Tabeta?, Ossan's Love), and they had much more original story and characters. This is pure innocent office romance. It doesn't matter that they're guys. This has been here a thousand times before and it's disappointing. Especially towards the end, it started to drag a little bit. Quickly watched, quickly forgotten. 55%.

There are a lot of series about bullying because this problem is raging throughout Japan, even though it's not talked about very often – unless someone commits suicide or tries to kill their abuser. As with all such series, a new element comes into the classroom to disrupt the system of bullying that has reigned until then, and tries to fix things with willpower, diligence, or whatever. We get to see different forms of bullying in the series, which is quite interesting to watch because one of them I had no idea the kids had worked their way up to. The acting isn't bad, Yonekura is gorgeous, and for the ladies there’s the lax teacher played by Mizobata or the students (Nomura is definitely cute like that). If you want bullying, you'll get it.

The main character, Momoko, gets fired from her daycare, so she gets a new job where she still takes care of kids. Specifically, the ones who aren't allowed to be in daycare because they have a temperature of 37.5 or higher. However, the employer's rules clearly state that she is not to interfere with the family, educate the child, etc. But Momoko, like a proper soft-hearted Japanese lady, can't be told and has to stick her nose everywhere she can. I guess it's because she had a terrible childhood. But of course, despite initial mistrust, she makes lots of friends, everyone applauds her, and only her family nips at her heels. It's a typical show about family, friendship, helping, and nurturing, it's just that some of the characters are like caricatures. Momoko herself is so unrealistic I'd like to shoot her in the eye. Ditto Asahina, played by poor Narimiya. Such a good actor and such a bad role. If you like cheesy family dramas, go for it; otherwise steer clear. A weak 2 stars.

In the context of high school romantic comedies where one is sort of likable and the other is relationally or socially inept, this is rather below average. But it's a fact that Tsutsun was funny at times, not a typical outlier because he didn't get tossed around so easily. Still, it pretty much stuck to the same well-worn grooves, it didn't really bring anything new to the table, and because it didn't strike me as interesting, I didn't even enjoy the clichés. To add to that, I wasn't happy with the quality of the animation and dubbing, either, so for me an anime that I could skip with a clear conscience. Maybe it's enough to watch the live-action movie and save some time and maybe have more fun.

The film was recommended to me by friends with the words: "We didn't even know films this good were being made in India." So I laughed at them and went to watch it. Three hours flew by, I don't even know how. Reasons to see the film: the three idiots are a likeable bunch, it has at least one catchy song, coincidence is a great thing, and dreams do come true. A movie that brings hope = it’s naive. Well, why not turn off for three hours?

What can I tell you, I got incredibly hooked during the first episode; it's just great! The plot, the excellent acting – Suda Masaki excels, not to mention the whole class of students, where no one is dead weight, everyone has a say, no one is ignored, as is usually the case with high school series where we get to know like three or four people from the class and that's it. Everyone has a role, motivation, gifts, and weaknesses. Apart from the students, the series also familiarizes the viewer with the police officers and other characters more than adequately. I'm not saying it’s a deep introduction, but each character gets just enough space for us, the audience, to understand their motivation for the actions they take. Mutō Shōgo really exceeded my expectations because he hasn't really written anything complex, basically it's a theme that quite a few series or movies are turning to these days, yet he puts a hilarious spin on it and the whole time drops hints, clues as to what's really going on and what it will all turn into. Certainly don't expect a whopping climax where the head of the American criminal organization is revealed... not at all, it's much more down to earth and human. And yet it actually manages to be that much more impactful. Basically, Mutō is speaking to us through Hiiragi in the last episode, when he says he hopes it will resonate with someone, at least one other person. He himself doesn't believe it will appeal to everyone, but he does believe it will at least reach someone. And I can easily say that this show got me. Not so much in its message, but in the way it's crafted, the soundtrack, and most importantly, the performances. You want an unusual high school drama? Go for it, because here a new generation of actors is being taught by a contemporary star and he does it brilliantly. I enjoyed it and I was looking forward to the next episode every week, to the twists and the suspense. For the first time in a long time, a series that entertained me from beginning to end; I liked how it was done and I want to watch it again right away. My number one for 2019.

Lyrical. Fantastical. A detective story. It's all intertwined and tied together very nicely by the soundtrack. I think it reflects the Japanese mindset in an interesting way, or rather how they are, what they believe in. Jun, Shiro, and the smoking detective were all well acted. The bonding, the slow unraveling of a past that to a certain extent is still very hard to understand, all of it made for a very interesting cinematic experience. Don't expect a frantic pace, don't expect bloody fights, don't expect a "fluid" story. This film is about the image, it's about what can't be conveyed through peppery dialogue. Watch and listen, but above all keep your expectations low.

Tedious. I watched it in three days, but that was only because I wanted to get the "burden" off my shoulders. Who wouldn't care if she died or not? But that's true of her entire storyline. I was more interested in the other one's storyline, the one who did the lending. And she also appealed to the Angel of Death, the Scheduler, who cried pretty hard in the end. I confess I shed a tear at the last episode too, not so much for the comatose one, but for the other one and what she found in the backpack. Well. You'll see if you watch. Otherwise, nothing. I didn't connect with them. I didn't sympathize. I didn't care for the OST either. But it left me feeling disillusioned – first, the ending sucked, and second it made me think about my own life. Yikes. A better 2 stars.