Category: Japanese

  • Japanese Cinema Blogathon 2010 – Day4

    It was really difficult to come up with a post for Day 4 of this Blogathon for Wildgrounds, but I’m cheating anyway~ and you’ll see why. But first, let’s take a look at the highlights of Day 3!

    First, let’s go back to Day 2~ I forgot to mention the gallery for Japanese Film Noir, which contains some very beautiful film stills. Then there was this Laputa’s 100 Best World and Japanese Animation Directors by Nishikata Film Review, who have also posted Takashi Yanase’s Top 15 Animated Films today.

    And for this edition of my Japanese film blogathon, I want to ask the visitors and readers of this post…

    Who’s Your Favorite Actress/Actor? Why?

    Enough about me, guys~ You already know I like Yu Aoi, Ayumi Ito, Ryo Kase, Rinko Kikuchi, Tadanobu Asano… Shinobu Terajima, etc~ etc. You know I like idols, and stuff like that~

    I just want to know who you watch Japanese films for… and if you don’t like any of the “new” actors, who’s your favorite actor/actress of the old times.

    Discuss below! You can talk amongst yourselves too~

  • Japanese Cinema Blogathon 2010 – Day3

    It’s day 3 of the Wildgrounds Japanese Film Blogathon! And seriously, I am running out of okay topics to write about, but some of you guys are writing more than one post a day! You guys are non-stop!

    First, with the sponsoring~~~

    Toma-Uno joined the blogathon with their post on Satoshi Kon — sorry, only in Spanish atm. And since we’re discussing Satoshi Kon, the guys at V Cinema contributed with their podcast on him, plus! A look at Twenty-Four Eyes (aka. Nijuushi no Hitomi), as well as various film reviews… including One Million Yen Girl!

    Which reminds me… I haven’t done any Yu Aoi Film Discussion posts in a very long while — just checked, it’s been nearly a year, and it’s been because I wanted to hold-off until I had seen any of her films released this year… or any non-sub film with new subtitles…

    But moving on, today’s topic is~~~

    (more…)

  • Japanese Cinema Blogathon 2010 – Day2

    Second day of Wildground’s Japanese Cinema blogathon!

    First of all, let’s do a recap of the first day~~~ My favorite piece comes from Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow Blog and their post on the first movie theater in Japan. A very interesting read about the ole times xD Plus, Nihon Cine Art has a poll running asking What’s your Favorite Japanese Cinema Era, and What’s your Favorite Japanese Cinema Genre~~~

    And a bit on art director/production designer Yoshiro Muraki~ by Nishikata Film Reviews~

    (more…)

  • Japanese Cinema Blogathon 2010 – Day1

    First day of Wildground’s 2010 Japanese Film Blogathon for everything about J-Cinema. Check out everyone participating around the world!

    I had a bit of a problem picking my topic for today, because I mainly talk about idols that act. However, I thought I would dedicate my first post to the first ever director I saw since my craze for J-Films began.

    (more…)

  • Random Web Polls: In which role did Aoi Yuu shine the most?

    via Kawaii Joyuu

    I guess the poll was for the release of Raiou… which was a bust. The film opened at #8, and has since then dropped out of the Top10. Where are the Masaki Okada fans when you truly need them?

    From the Top10, 5 are dramas (Osen, Dr. Koto, Ryomaden, Tiger & Dragon, Unubore Deka) and two of those are recent. Considering her Ryomaden guest star has officially ended this Sunday, it boosted it to the Top5.

    *goes rabid fan* Seriously, people! Honey & Clover over Hana & Alice??? O_O

    This question should be, “which is the most popular Yu Aoi role?” For a “more proper” rank or a better guide on what you should be checking out — in case you’re a new fan — Check this Yu Aoi Ranked.

    Also, Poll time!

    (more…)

  • My Top5 Scary Films that I Own

    Ahh, Halloween — everyone’s doing lists about their fave scary movies… their fave scary moments, and the reviews of many scary movies. Now, horror isn’t exactly my favorite genre, so I’m not well-versed. xD This is why I’m just ranking the scary films that I own… based on scale of how scared I got. LOL

    First bonus first!

    The Others

    Thought that it was scary, but IMDb is not marking it as horror. However, it is one of my favorite Kidman films/performances — and that old lady in the closet! BAM!

    (more…)

  • Wildground’s 2010 Japanese Film Blogathon

    We’re in!

    You can join all of us too. xD Just head over here, and make sure you blog!

    I have no idea what I’ll be talking about, but I gotta match my post on Japanese Cinema taking over the world~

  • Screen Daily – Raiou Review

    I think this is the first time I post more than one review not of mine of a Yu Aoi film, maybe I’m getting better at finding info… or maybe more people are writing in English. Anyway, this second review of Raiou isn’t so kind either.

    I haven’t been able to find Box Office info on whether Raiou opened at #1, or a had weak opening — being a Period Romance, it should open at #1 for various reasons. Anyway~ here’s an excerpt:

    Although the charismatic Aoi Yu brings some sorely-needed life to the film with her portrayal of Rai/Yu, her counterpart Okada Masaki is never truly convincing as a man whose inner demons threaten to tear him apart.

    Via Screendaily.com

    I don’t think those comments will hurt the Okada Masaki fans, but let’s wait for those Box Office numbers~

    *EDIT*

    Got numbers~ They’re not that good. Raiou opened at #8 ~

    via Japan Now + Cinema Navi

  • Mia Wasikowska… kind of a Mori Girl

    OMG, pretty haircut~

    Continuing with my thing of mixing the East with the West~~~ I was watching That Evening Sun because I had been inclined to watch anything that I saw had Wasikowska’s name in the credits – except for In Treatment because that’s just way too many hours…

    We spotted her when we saw I Love Sarah Jane last year — though we haven’t spotted anyone in a long time — we’ve followed her career closely. Unlike many people, I did like her a lot as Alice… as a girly girl that I can be, I got giddy watching Alice… and Wasikowska has struck me as a Mori Girl.

    The general definition would be a “a girl who seems to be/live in a forest”, describing a girl who would fit more into a forest rather than into a city.

    “She has to like fashion that’s natural, but also a bit quirky” or “She wears a lot of dresses that have a loose or comfortable feeling to them”, to name a few of the opinions. The difficulty is that the girl should like “natural clothes”

    And Wasikowska, each time I see her on screen and/or carpets… she strikes me as this dreamy soft-spoken girl. I can imagine her living as a fairy in the forest. LOL I was going to prepare a whole speech on how she’s a Mori Girl, but then I go on research and find ass-kicker photoshoots, which I’ll be posting later on. However, despite those high fashion chic photos… she’s still kind of a Mori Girl, right?

    Picspam after the break!

    (more…)

  • Long Version – Masaki Okada and Yu Aoi for MAIKA’s Kokoro – Raiou MV

    Okay, this is bordering on Spam~

    But Raiou opened on Friday (it’s been more than half the day in Japan already). So there’s been a lot of news naturally, and I hope there are more reviews… super-hoping in English. xD

    You know I’ve been listening to Maika’s album right? That she reminds me of Shakira, and I’ve been pimping some of Maika on YAM [1][never never never give up]. Also OFF-TOPIC, but this made me realize Twitter needs a search your tweets feature.

    Anyway, this is Kokoro… but 2 minutes longer =D So more Yu and Msaki Okada singing. LOL

    [iframe src=”https://player.yinyuetai.com/video/player/88676/v_5501040.swf” width=”480″ height=”334″]