Zíza

Unfortunately, a crime drama that doesn't impress. The script is so weak that I don't understand how it could have happened, since it has a pretty decent premise. Well, obviously no one here seems to know how to develop such themes. And unfortunately it's pretty obvious from the actors that they just want to get it over with, they're not even trying hard, they're just acting it out. But what's even worse is the bad casting of Moon Chae-won – she's completely out of place, her voice, her expressions, everything. Just as soon as she came on the set, if the show had me at all interested, she was sure to ruin it. A weak show, a boring show. I'm not saying it didn't have the occasional good scene, but there were so few that I can't even remember what I actually liked. Exaggerated, often illogical given how smart everyone is. I finished it without much interest; if they had all died, it wouldn't even move me, paradoxically I might have liked it. And given that the viewer doesn't really manage to form a proper relationship with the whole team, let alone their boss and family, when the Reaper is brought in right from the start... that's really a screenwriting indiscretion of the first caliber. So weak. I don't really have anyone to recommend the show to. Maybe to someone who's in the mood for a weak serial crime mystery?

If you're in the mood for something cute, I think Kahoko could fulfill that wish. Actress Takahata Mitsuki played the naive Kahoko so well that her stock immediately rose in my eyes. She perfectly conveyed the naïveté and kindness of a person so sheltered by her family that she has never known any harm, so when life finally starts to get to her, she's all confused. So it may seem like Kahoko is just another silly female character, but I would resist that label. Throughout the series, we get to see Kahoko grow up, to see her big eyes open. Plus, her chemistry with Takeuchi Ryouma is excellent. A very hilarious relaxing series that references the theme of overprotection of children by their parents, where at the same time young love blossoms and both actors portray it brilliantly. I found the series very well written and acted. And I will definitely continue to watch Mitsuki. Nice, warm, naive. Makes you feel good about watching it. And the opening with Kahoka's dress... brilliant!

You wouldn't think such a ridiculous subject could be funny, but the Japanese have proven yet again that they know their way around this. Don't expect anything but a relaxing series, don’t approach this any other way. That's all it really is, but after all, nowadays everyone is looking for relaxation and not having to think about anything, so it's really a series for everyone. Plus, even though it's really a series that doesn't have any added value, it doesn't offend the viewer and really helps them relax without getting upset that the creators are perhaps making fun of them. The cast is interesting, the characters mostly act reasonably; in any case, the best of them all is Bubuka, even when Kishitani Gorô was at her heels he seemed to be enjoying the hell out of it.

Seems to me that it would have been much more suited to a series. I was feeling a bit nostalgic at first because it felt a lot like Tumbling, The Rookies, or Gokusen. Here we have a team that is working hard and trying to make something happen. We've got a teacher who's working hard for them and trying to get the girls to achieve something. So it's nice, the girls are working hard, building friendships, rivalries, skills. The film shows them to us over a period of three years, and that's why I don't think the film format was really sufficient for that. I'm sure it would have been more interesting, and I'm sure it would have grown on people more, if you could have enjoyed them longer and experienced more hardships with them. And if there had been space for that! But it's a nice movie about a journey to follow your dreams with some pretty cute girls led by Hirose Suzu: that girl is truly hot, she can really move, and she'll probably turn out to be something in the end. A nice 3 stars. And it may sound like I'm contradicting myself, but I ultimately thought it had an awfully long running time. They basically showed you so much that you either think it could use a series to have more fun with the girls, or it showed you too much for a movie, where a bigger resolution at the end is more important.

Every episode is different, every episode focuses on something a little different, yet it's all a series about people, their foibles and hurts, delivered in an entertaining way. One episode might be more entertaining, the other less so, but the cast is decent and it's great as relaxing entertainment. Plus, the episodic performances by the various actors are great. So far, I've enjoyed Aoi Yû and Kunimura Jun the most. There's not much detective stuff in this, it's more geared towards amusement and human drama, but that's okay because it serves its purpose. A strong 3 stars.

If you're enthralled by Hanzawa Naoki, and Shitamachi Rocket along with it... and you actually like Ikeido Jun's work, you'll like this too. It's his standard work from the banking sector. With a little bit of fatalism. With bubble economics. With Saito and Mukai. But this is his weakest work for me. Still, it's certainly not bad. If you've had enough of romance and action, here are two guys trying to be good guys in an environment that makes millions. Maybe it would be more interesting for a person interested in the era or the banking industry than it is for me.

So I watched it again and I have to say I enjoyed the building of their relationships much more this time. But while I can't figure out why, I didn't realize that the story was set in the past until Jun-ni was protesting with his college friends. Somehow I hadn't put that together the entire time. But that doesn't change the fact that as a relationship story, it's very interesting because it's not an ordinary love polygon, because there's development, and because there are a lot of genuine feelings involved. It was good. Even though I'm not a fan of jazz (I prefer swing), I think I finally understood this messy music – I fully belonged to it. The only thing I didn't like was the animation and the overall look of the characters. But it wasn't anything that forced me to stop watching. I'm leaving the rating at 3 stars, but it's a very strong 3 stars.

I was intrigued by the anime, it flowed nicely, whereas the live-action movie dragged like crazy and failed to engage me enough to keep my attention. About half an hour before the end, I was praying for it to be over because I was absolutely not enjoying it. It was a good idea that apparently failed because of a bad script. That's also why it's hard to tell if the actors and actresses were well chosen, because they just probably didn't get many opportunities to play anything properly. Their performance was indeed mediocre. It's a shame, I was looking forward to it; but in the end it was just a bit of a "nah". Despite the unsatisfying ending, I think the anime is better because it has momentum and chemistry.

There's no villain explicitly, but everyone has their worries and pain. The film handles them very gently, and just shows the viewer an excerpt of the lives of people who may not identify in everything as normal according to societal norms. Lovely, nice performances, human. That was plenty to satisfy.

Another typical high school romance with typical performances, spiced up by the heroine's memory loss. I liked the movie better than the series, though; it had a more vivid background and a better ending, though again nothing bombastic. At least I finally got to see Yamazaki as a regular high school kid, not the cool badass everyone wants. Good enough for one viewing.