I haven't written one of these since April (here) =O That's disgusting and ridiculous and needs sorting now! I do apologise how STAGE central my blog had become this year so hopefully the next few posts can be more doramas, movie, anime and even some actual events-based posts. If you want a holiday post as well I'll do that too so let me know!! ^_^




Today we have:
Joker Game
In The Hero
Douhitemo Furetakunai
K: Missing King
Ghost in the Shell
Hakuouki
Hakuouki: Otogisoushi
K: Return of Kings
Osomatsu-san
High&Low Season 1 and 2


Okay let's go!




Joker Game [Japan - 2015 - Movie 9/10]

Guys guys guys guys this movie! I held this OFF for so long because I knew I'd love it and I didn't wanna see it and be like 'damn I can't watch that for the first time ever again' << I'm stupid right?. So I held the off for the longest time! (It's also why I still haven't watched Vancover no Asahi with Kame in too cos I know it's going to be amazing and I'll love it but I don't want my 'first time' watching it to just come and go ='[). Also, I really wanted to read the book first before watching the movie BUT I read the first chapter and I soon realised that at my current level, I wasn't going to finish it even if I tried for a year because there's a lot of science and spy language that I cannot read xD SO I caved and watched this movie! And now I'm going to talk about the actual film!

Firstly, badass opening < according to my notes xD. Also, from what I've read and heard and seen, this movie is actually somewhat different to actual book and in fact the anime (see here) is closer to the original book than this movie so I guess they wanted to add and change some parts - and if you compare this movie to the 2 episodes in the anime where they cover this plot, a lot of parts are different even if the overall story structure is the same -- am I making sense today? Feel like I can't English today...  Anyway! I really enjoy Kame in this and I really like his character and after seeing ALL the interviews he did for this movie and the interviews where he'd show off his spy skills and to see them finally in the movie, I got excited, I enjoyed seeing that! I'm still not used to him looking this thin though (he lost a LOT of weight for this movie and due to all the training). I really liked the setting as well and the entire movie I enjoyed, The music is really great too! ^_^ I was really impressed with the cinematography and colouring too! I feel this movie had a huge budget and you can tell in the production and the look of it all. Some of this was predictable but that's class spyness so I

forgave it. And yes I still dislike Fukuda (wtf is her name) Fukada Ryoko; she really cannot act in my opinion. She really lacks expressions and emotions when she acts. Two times I've given her a chance but she really is only capable of pulling three faces; either it's an expressionless face, a confused and clueless face or this expression that's super punchable but it's her pouting and trying to look cute and it just doesn't work. I still don't think she can act and I have no interest in her. Luckily her time in this is somewhat small, because Kame is the main character, so I could put up with her but just no thank you when it comes to her acting.

I also did not like the ending because it felt like we were only JUST getting started and then the credits came up and there's almost a definitely chance we're not getting a sequel so it frustrates me even more; I was enjoying this so much and it looked like they were getting ready to do off and do some more shinanegans and then it ends. I need more of this please! Give me a sequel please! Esepcially after the popular response of this movie AND then the popular response the anime got, give me a sequel! Just without Fukaka please. Everything else in this movie (minus some predictability in the plot) was wonderful! I enjoyed it so much!




In The Hero [Japan - 2014 - Movie 5/10]

This really should be MUCH lower because of lot of this film is slow and boring and Fukushi Sota is in it and while he does a decent acting job this time; his character is a prick. I really don't like his character's attitude in this film. This film feels very unfinished and very unpolished. Yet I could understand what message they were pushing for. And there's this MASSIVE 20 or 30 minute actio sequence at the end (this movie is about stuntmen by the way!) that's pretty impressive; even my notes I write 'This isTHE best action sequence I've ever seen!' which means that while the film's plot, acting, everything is bad because they probably wanted to spend ALL the money and time on this one long scene and believe me, it's a very good scene. But at the same time it's a very nervewracking scene to watch because of the circumstances the main character has decided to undertake in order to do this massive action scene (for a movie they're shooting IN this movie). Because this movie is about stuntment there's clearly a lot of homage and references to Super Sentai and Kamen Rider and the main character's job IS as a Tokusatsu stuntsman. So naturally enjoyed those Toku references ^_^ Without the Toku references and without that one big scene, this movie is pretty slow, boring and I remember I watched the first hour and then I didn't continue to finish the second half until like 4 days later because I just wasn't feeling it (at least for the first hour).



Doushitemo Furetakunai [Japan - 2014 - Movie 6/10]

So my notes are pretty much just me fangirling at the hand holdings and kisses and everything xD What I remember of this is that the development between the characters is very fast and then it gets weird when one of them is like 'I'm not gay, but for some reason I like you' and this must still be in Japanese culture but in western culture we'd be like 'so you're bi?' or 'why did you feel a need to say that?' so personally for me that moment was odd. Also it looked like (as there is in MOST BL movies) there was an almost rape scene (poor Yone-chan) but I think this was a more tamer version - we all remember Fushimi Orchestra's rape scene right? *sigh* - which means it didn't taint the niceness of this film. I really liked towards the end when Yone's character is just completely not coping with the change that's happened and then the actual ending is so cute and good! I thought it was great! This was a pretty nice movie and definitely not one of the bad BL movies -- we've all seen those right xD Yone is cute as always in this <3 I always forget how SMALL he is till I see him with his coworkers >.< such a cutie.




K: Missing King [Japan - 2014 - Anime Movie 3/10]

I had no idea what was going on in this movie. Once again it's visually pleasing and it all looks beautiful and some of the characters themselves are interesting and the powers are interesting BUT I had no idea (just like in season one... in fact even less than in season one) what was going on. I understood a new red king needs to be named and I get Kuro and Neko are looking for Shiro but like... I don't understand anything else that went on in this movie and we didn't get any answers (surprise surprise).





Ghost in the Shell [Japan - 1995 - Anime Movie 5/10]

Not going to lie, I fell asleep watching this about 3 times, BUT I think that's because animation ALWAYS makes me sleepy - it's why I watch it when I go to bed because I fall asleep in minutes for some reason - so that's not a negative on the movie so much as it is on my brain switching off at the art. The initial set up is interesting and I did enjoy it except for the end which I think didn't make sense. I watched this because my friend wants me to start the series (which is apparently better) and I know Ghost in the Shell is this huge cultural thing and there's the whitewashed hollywood movie coming out soon and I get what it's about but this movie didn't interest me. Sorry! I'm quite sure everyone and their mother has seen this before me. Please let me know your views on this! I started the series but stopped at like episode 2 - I think after Hakuouki (my next review after this) I just couldn't take anymore dark themes for a while.



Hakuouki [Japan - 2010 - Anime 8/10]

This mother fucker warmed my heart before promptly ripping it out and standing all over it time and time again! This is such a good series but it didn't stop me from feeling literally every shitty feeling there is. I cried my heart out so many times to this anime, especially episode 11! Oh my god the ending of that episode... *heartache* the theme of this is historical, vampire, romance. Vampire isn't really the right word but at the same time it is. The historical part of it is that we follow the Shinsengumi (a massive deal in Japan by the way) who were a group of Samurai and one day they decide to help a girl called Chizuru and it soon turns out that there's demons/oni and just everything happens; all the shits hit the fans. There's beautiful parts, funny parts but overall this is a dark and sad story and the characters are all so amazing (except Hijikata - freaking hate his guts!) and you just can't not cry at the shit and the pain they go through... I was a WRECK after I marathoned all 24 episodes in about 3 days. Just my heart and tears were so worn out. But by god this is good! I started watching it because I wanted to start the stages - so naturally through OCD I had to watch the original source first - and then after finishing this anime I proceeded to marathon the first 8/9 stages in about 2 weeks and then (as you know) I went and saw HakuMyu Live 2 (review here). I freaking LOVE this series and desparately need a PS Vita so I can start the games too (which is where this series originally began!). Guys, I love this anime, the characters, the stages, the music, even the fact I cry my heart out every single time, I love it! .... why is this only 8 out of 10?! Ahhh yeah it loses makes because A. I NEED MORE!, B. it's such an emotional roller coaster, C. I hate what happens to everyone D. I despise Hijikata with such a passion xD (he's a freaking dream in the stages btw! Yazaki! <3 ) and E. I NEED MORE! Okay, I'll stop fangirling now...




Hakuouki: Otogisoushi [Japan - 2016 - Anime 8/10]

Ths is the chibi, cute, light, fun, comedy version of Hakuouki. It's just showing their random daily lives when they weren't off (almost) getting themselves killed in battle. << technically not a spoiler cos of actual history. This is so much fun! But so short! They're only like 13 5-minute episodes and I laughed so hard! Kazama's personality in this is hilarious! And Harada and Shiranui's drinking scene was hilarious and Okita just being Okita was a lot of fun and I really loved Yamazaki's episode too <3 this is just so cute and adorable! A great picker upper after the actual dark anime of Hakuouki. A must see for Hakuouki fans at least! I hope they do a second season or make a longer season of it! I need more of this too.



K: Return of Kings [Japan - 2015 - Anime 8/10]

I bet y'all surprised I watched this after having not understanding the first season AT ALL and after being so bored and disappointed with the movie. Well let me say this; I am now a HUGE K fan after this second season! I don't know what they did or how they did it or what they changed but holy moly this was SO much better and I freaking loved it!! It might also be because I watched the K Stages (1 and 2) before watching this and I enjoyed those more than I enjoyed the first anime season (which stages 1 and 2 are based on). The stages made everything a bit more interesting, less confusing and more understandable, ANYWAY back this is amazing second season! I don't know but just everything was so good! Not only is this BEAUTIFULLY designed and produced but I really got a feel for the characters this time around - seriously I completely fell for Fushimi! Him and Yata together?! Oh my, the best love/hate friendship ever! The plot this time around was so understandable too! But unfortunately, due to the way it ended, there's really no room or reason for them to do a season three which SUCKS! So I just hope they adapt all the billions of spin off manga and novels that have come out over the years. I really enjoyed this guys! And it really surprised me that I did enjoy it! But I'm glad I did and now I'm willing to give season one and the movie another shot - just after 2017 comes and my rewatching ban is over! xD



Osomatsu-san [Japan - 2015 - Anime 7/10]

This was originally rated a 6 out of 10 because when I was watching it, I was either fully engaged and dying of laughter, or I was completely bored by it and it lost my interest. But I was talking about this to a friend on Saturday night and we could not stop laughing while talking about a lot of different episodes and moments that happened in this series so I bumped it up to a 7 because I actually only remember the good parts about this anime. I still don't quite understand why it because this huge hit that it is, because I wouldn't say it's THAT good, but I have funny memories of it and it had some really good moments and episodes. My favourite is definitely Ichimatsu. I'm supposed to be seeing the stage of this soon but I get the feeling it'll be completely different to the anime (which kinda makes sense cos the anime is just random as hell so you could really do and take what ever you want into the stage world for this type of show) and I'm not actually all that intereted in seeing it anymire << but this could be because none of the press have released pictures or even a rehearsal video of it! How am I supposed to get excited when the press aren't releasing teasers?! xD Anyway! Yeah this was decent but it definitely has boring ass parts so I don't think it's as amazing as everyone else in Japan is making it out to be.



High&Low Season 1 and 2 [Japan - 2015 - 2016 - Dorama 7/10 and 6/10]

I started watching this because the summer drama and anime season was dying down so I had time and I realised I was WAY behind on my dorama watching ratio (compared to how many movies I've seen this year) so I used this to catch up. Also I've been dying to watch this series since just before it even originally started airing and the movie was currently in the cinemas when I started watching it this summer too. I really enjoyed this! It's very quick to get through (only took me about a week to get through both seasons. It's only like 12 20-minute episodes times 2 seasons) and there's a lot of action. I really like how different the gangs all are and music is huge thing in this dorama - obviously because this IS produced by EXILE - and I liked how each gang had their own music themes and such! But I do think the first season was a lot stronger and the story was more compelling in the first season, however my favourite character (Kizzy played by Inaba Yu) is in season two and is completely fabulous <3 unfortunately what made season two weak is the fact that the first 4 episodes are completely dedicated to the PAST and it's like 'you could just flash back about 5 minutes and that's all we need to know' I feel like it was a complete waste of time. We're watching this show because of the gangs that are around NOW, we really don't care about this old-retired man and his past (sorry Akira). At least I felt this way. Also they introduced a new gang in season two who are just uninteresting as shit and are totally unneeded. There's enough action and dorama going on with the gangs and stories that we have NOW that I felt it was kinda a waste of time to introduce a new gang and to spend so much time on the past. I really enjoyed all the fight, I really enjoyed all the leaders, the relationships between all the members and the gangs is really good, some of the mysteries were great too! And of course we have some huge names like (lets ignore EXILE; they get enough press) Kubota Masataka, Hayashi Kento, Endo Yuya (papa Endo!), Inabau Yu, Yamada Yuki, Takeda Kyouhei and Jinnai Sho!!

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I did it!! Did you miss these posts? Hopefully another will be up soon.

ALSO! If there's anything from this post that you want a full length review of, let me know!