half way ハルフウェイ [movie]

I want her calligraphy teacher. He is the best.

This is a quiet little film, full of people I like and shot with the feel of watching real life. The dialogue and pace is all very natural and calm, and the subtle humour keeps it flowing along so much so that it is over before you realise.

 

The discussion of whether ‘half’ is pronounced haafu or harufu made me really laugh, it was really nice to see that and think that is how I sound when I’m trying to get my head round some Japanese words. Such incidentals throughout made this a really warm sweet film, even though it obviously isn’t one for an epic fluffy happy ending.



cast:
Kitano Kie (14 Sai no Haha, bandage)
Okada Masaki (Blackjack, Hana Kimi)

Mizobata Junpei (Buzzer Beat, Akai Ito)

Naka Riisa (Yankii-kun to megane-chan)
Narimiya Hiroki (Yankii-kun to megane-chan
Shiraishi Miho (suppli, orange days)
Osawa Takao (ichi, a cheerful gang turns the earth)

The end of the final year of high school is a difficult time to be in a relationship. We watch these two characters awkwardly (adorably) become an item only to realise they may have to part ways soon due to the end of school and moving to attend their separate universities. How can you choose between your high school love and your education, dreams and aspirations?

 

It is a sad film really, in a way. But I think it’s because it is so realistic. There is no Tatta Hitotsu No Koi style flash forward to later down the line so we can see how things pan out, this movie is just one snippet of their lives shown to us as if it were a treasured memory conjured by an old photo.

It reminded me somehow of Kimi Ni Todoke but I couldn’t tell you why. They aren’t alike in story but maybe just that quiet feel. Actually I quite want to watch that now I’m thinking about it.

Getting the screen shots for this I find myself just watching it again. It pulls me in somehow. And while I’m brought into a sudden reality of living in the city again as I spend my first Friday night at my new flat listening to my neighbour through the wall shouting his mouth off in some beer soaked inaudible ugly way, I long for the sort of peaceful feeling this movie instantly gives me. I know my friend is just down the road with vodka but I can’t be assed to move, I spent forever walking by the sea today and my legs hate me. So screen shotting this movie is kinda nice and chilled which is welcomed by me right now.

 

While getting these shots I realise I have forgotten half the movie, and each scene is funny or sad all over again. I love how Hiro freaks when Sho asks her out and she rides her bike down a hill in a panic and falls flat on the grass, splat anime style. She is kind of headstrong and wilful but really scatty and girlie as well, which makes him tease her constantly.

The two friends of this main pair are played by Mizobata Junpei (akai ito, buzzer beat) and Naka Riisa (yankii-kun to megane-chan, kami no shizuku) who offer their own subtle realistic humour; I could watch the both of them all day long so I was glad of their presence in this. Also Osawa Takao (ichi) was so great as their calligraphy teacher – lazing about on the floor counselling love woes over tea. I’ve never seen him look so cool.

 

As sad at it is, it isn’t all death and woes so it doesn’t become a huge tear jerker. The constant smiles it brings just mean you can’t help but feel a little sad when the unfortunate but unavoidable end comes. All in all, it is an uplifting sweet funny movie with great characters and a flawless cast. Even just looking at screen shots from this film make me smile.

I think maybe that is why It reminds me of Kimi Ni Todoke, that warm, slightly sad but beautiful feeling, that surrounds honest but apprehensive love.

~

akai ito 赤い糸 [series] [movie]

taka-chan-san

the first thing that comes to mind when i think of akai ito, for some reason,
is the theme tune and that first line sore demo ii...
it meant nothing at first but after some way through
those lines coming in would conjour up a little sad feeling
that made me want to watch more.

im so drawn to anything relating to the red string of fate concept,
and that is just what led me to this drama some time ago.

akai ito is not fantastically gripping, or hysterically funny,
in fact i found it quite sad but it is one i think worth watching.



minamisawa nao plays the lead character mei (great nose)
who as a small child met a boy on her birthday once outside a cake shop.
this boy, we soon find out, is back in her life years later and
we wait to see if this means a destined bond between them will flourish.

mizobata junpei plays a-kun, the boy mei met in the past.
but unknown to anyone is the harsh history he has and the trials he still faces at home.

with these two characters everything is pretty serious and melodramarie
(yes im aware i just made up that word) 
and by rights with me and my lack of tolerance for these type of people
they should kind of annoy me
(there'd be no problems if they were just straight up about how they felt when they felt it)
but they dont really bug me that much as its just how teenagers are
and its realistically portrayed in that way i guess.

 

now, because of all the drama with mr and mrs serious-face
we have taka-chan and sara. my favourite characters who give us the qwerky
funny moments akai ito would be too skwirmy to watch without.
is skwirmy a word?

annoyingly enough, the really harsh and upsetting moments later in the drama
come from these two characters aswell - even more so than mei and a-kun for me at least.
so really i guess with akai ito you cant f*cking win, its gonna be sad whichever way you look at it.

i loved taka-chan, played by the geniusly brilliant kimura ryo
who for once is not playing someone crazy gay or even slightly gay.
(i truly truly love him as a gay guy though)
he is the most textured character in this and though he's not being
mr crazy gay he does still get to go nuts - its not pretty but he does it so well.

theres suicide, pregnacy, drugs and abuse.
its not exactly the happiest thing you could choose to watch but
it doesnt completely destroy your soul or anything either.

the whole group of friends are likeable, made up of a supporting cast that are
all familiar faces from other dramas.
to me it feels like it was made years before anything else we've seen them in
but actually it was aired in 2008 so it was after the likes of
seito shokun,   hana kimi,    and nodame etc.
(mizobata)(mizobata, kimura) (kimura)



its frustrating how no-one wants to talk openly and you just know eveything would be solved
if they all just stopped being d*cks about it especially a-kun's mum
but then she is a drug addict - you expect her character to wind you up a little.

its kind of sad and pretty frustrating but its also sweet and emotional.
there are many great moments from sara (sakuraba) especially when she's all
lolita'd up and dancing for the band at the festival and such.



akai ito has a kind of weird story to follow and stretches over quite a long period of time
and having been so long since i watched it i cant really even remember exactly how it ends.

but as with all these strained and perilous red thread relationship journeys it does come to a
rather dramatic head and as usual there are some hugely sad and
regretable moments to endure before any hope of that happy ending.

my favourite point of the journey is somewhere in the middle
before everyone has gone into psycho angry death mode
but after everyone has become close and formed a great bond as a group.



this is a really hard review to round off and end. so i'll leave it rather abruptly here
with taka-chan's lovely psycho p*ssed off face. ...he's still pretty though right? (^_^)




:p





so a little side note about the movie (why this is in the 'movie reviews' as well)
akai ito is also a movie - its not a follow on, it is exactly the same.
its made up of the same footage, its just compressed into a movie.

you dont get the same development of characters so i advise watching the drama
over the movie. you just dont get to love the other people that much
its mainly all about the two leads.

the other characters are worth wanting to get to know during the drama
so dont miss out with the film, i say.
but its still good. i guess i'd have liked it if i hadnt seen the series but we'll never know.

it doesnt tie up all the loose ends like the drama does.
but you would expect that with a film and its limited time frame.

mainly i just want to grow to love taka-chan before he goes nuts
not just think he's a d*ck. cos he aint.
he great. mizuki stoopid. - oh wait thats hana kimi, hang on
team taka-chan-san! *waves flag*
that'll do.

buzzer beat ブザー・ビート [series]

how many times can i watch the last 5 mins of episode 7???!!! sqeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KeikoPi? two of my favourite actors in one series? really?   majide?   uso!     ureshiiiiiiii (^-^) i absolutely loved buzzer beat with all my heart.

seeing that both my favourite japanese actors were in a series togther made me squeee and kyaa like youve never seen. it was nice to see yamapi play someone like naoki - lots of weaknesses and insecure moments, big doey eyes, skilled at his sport but rubbish at understanding what his girlfriend wants from him.

kitagawa keiko (who i love love love love love) plays violinist riko who is searching for her break trying to hold onto her dream. there is a strong red string of destiny element to this drama with the two of them obviously fated to love each other.

Kanjiya Shihori plays riko's friend mai, the two of them being girlie and loving towards each other is great i can believe their friendship instantly.

the most fun comes from the pairing of shihori and mizobata junpei (playing shuji) who is great at playing such a hopeless dork. who knew?

shihori i swear can speak at the speed of light - the woman has me in stitches.

 to be honest, they all did in this drama. little subtle things like naoki hitting his lamp shade with his basket ball, shuji's face when riko comes out of her room without a bra on, the guys all lined up posing infront of the changing room mirror togther like a bunch of muppets, lots of little personal qwerky traits they all had.

on the other side there are the characters who we dont like much - naoki's mean-ass girlfriend and his new team mate yoyogi ren - ive never booed and hissed at the tv so much before, everytime they did something else behind naoki's back i was throwing socks at the screen and scowling like a kid.

i dont know why the main characters are so loveable. yamapi does a lot of looking at his love interest with those watery eyes which helps but its really the girls who win your heart. this is why keiko is one of my favourite actress she can be the most loveable person, and when twinned with shihori you want to jump into their friendship

and squeeee along with them.

its a really romance one though. it is funny but its definately mostly about the

"please let them get together by the end of this or im gonna die" type feeling.

i tell ya, i must replayed certain close moments between naoki and riko over and over tens of times squealing like an absolute moron.

the theme tune to this drama i had to download and listen to over and over just to conjour up all those feelings of exitement i had when watching it. i raced through this series in a few days as i just couldnt contain myself, i believe i even skipped work just to stay in and watch it.

as useless as i am at being a girl this seemed to bring out every bit of dormant girlieness i had and whenever i see shots from the show or watch a clip im thrown back into kyaa mode again sqealing like ive just been confessed to by my ultimate love.

there are so many quiet sweet moments between the two interchanged with lots of blundering silly friendship stuff with the other characters.

the only part of buzzer beat i didnt like was near the end so i wont explain in too much spoiler type detail - only to say that for god sake if youre gonna have someone passionately say lines like "do you really love this man?" and "love makes you stronger!" dont get a f*cking american to say it in english!

it was so cheesy i nearly lost my stomach to my fingernails clawing in embarrassment. dear god there was no need. ruined the moment for any english speaking viewers. hopefully the jarring cheese of that accent was lost on the japanese. i still havent quite recovered, when i think of it i still squirm.

but the fantastic scene where riko begs naoki to not stop being her friend and him running up the stairs and oh god i dont wanna ruin it for you but i replayed that over and over its one of my favourite romantic scenes ever in the history of everything ever in the world ever forever and ever amen. 

and yes, you do get used to yamapi with permed hair really quite quickly. it works. makes him look like a little puppy. which fits naoki. i think the best hair in this though belongs to mai. love that wobbly bun. - round hair, straight talk.

so what else can i say about buzzer beat? its how we want friendships to be. unintentional closeness and love before you realise it. and lots of cute squeeeeee moments.

~