Hana Yori Dango

Production Year: 1995
Rate: 5.0

Synopsis: This movie stars Yuki Uchida. Tsukushi Makino is a poor girl that gets into a prestigious private school. While she's there, she runs into F4(four guys from very prominent families) and gets into trouble with them. They start playing pranks on her and making her life hell, but she fights back. Somewhere along the way, the leader of F4, Doumyouji(Shosuke Tanihara), starts falling for her, but she actually has a crush on one of the other members, who has a quiet and cool manner, Rui(Naohito Fujiki). Then there's a beautiful girl that she has to try and compete with to get his attention.

Acting performances:

Yuki Uchida as Tsukushi Makino
She acted very well!! Just like Makino in the manga. I think she shines out by herself in this dorama.
 
 
 
 

First sight: I've watched Meteor Garden, then eventually read the original manga, Hana Yori Dango, ending up liking the story very much. So, of course, I'm interested to see the Japanese version!!^_^

Comments: Sucks!! Nani kore? The worst Japanese movie I've ever seen!! Very corny! I've read and liked the manga, so it makes this movie even worse! I think they tried to compress 10 volumes of manga to 90 minutes, so it feels like there only cuts of scenes picked up from here and there and mixed up the order of the scenes. Doumyouji's actor acted bad & stiff(equally as bad as Jerry Yan =P). Fujiki plays Rui, but he doesn't impress me at all(except the fact that he looks cute here^^), his Rui is soooo different from the Rui of manga, I'm so dissapointed!! Although, I don't like Vic Chou as the Taiwanese-Rui, but I guess he's doing his job better than Fujiki(gomen, Fujiki's fans!>_<). I guess only Yuki Uchida who did her job much better than the Taiwanese-Tsukushi^^
Don't even get me started about the ending!!!>_< The worst ending I ever seen! Yuck! Yada! Overall, this is a bad movie, and although, I'm not fond of the Taiwanese version, Meteor Garden(esp. b'coz I think F4 cannot act & sing =P), but compare it with this movie, I would DEFINITELY just recommend the Taiwanese drama for you to watch a proper adaptation ^_^

Watched: once, collected the videotape

Likes: Uchida as Makino....that's about it!

Dislikes: Most of 'em!

Hongkong Night Club 

Production Year: 1997
Rate: 7.0

Synopsis: A young reporter, Shibata(Katori) with his senior, Tategami(Kishitani) flies to Hongkong to cover a story of Hongkong's dark side, mostly on mafia business. However, those mafia spot Shibata & Tategami taking pictures of them, so they chase them all over Hongkong. Shibata & Tategami lost their passports...so they have to hide.
Tategami's solution? He give Shibata make-ups and dressed him as a very pretty woman, and from now on, they'll act as husband and wife.....little did Shibata know, that Tategami has an uncommon sexual orientation ^_^;
Eventually, they enter this so-called Hongkong #1 Night Club and decided to hide there, till they can get themselves passports to go back to Japan. Poor Shibata...he has to keep disguising as a woman, as all people in the night club only know the fact that they're actually a couple who introduces themselves as Touch(Tategami) and Maggie(Shibata)^^;
In the night club, they get to meet the #1 singer of the club, Cora(Anita Yuen). Interesting love triangle occurs....an actually one way love triangle: Shibata --> Cora --> Tategami --> Shibata ^_^;

Acting performances:

Shingo Katori as Ryouichi Shibata
Shingo looks soooo cute and handsome here!!^___^ Well...that is, until he dressed as a woman x) My jaw actually dropped, when he appear with woman's dress the first time......very beautiful!!!O_O
 
 
 
 

Anita Yuen as Cora
I know she's a great actress, but she didn't really stand out in this movie....just her usual silly comical role ^_~
 
 
 
 
 

Goro Kishitani as Tategami-san
Yes....yes...he's a good actor.....acting great as a gay......but I just wish if he can just get his hands off Shingo!!!!!!>_<"
 
 
 
 

First sight: Shingo no eiga...dakara!^^

Comments: I was surprised when I knew this is actually a Japanese movie(all are Japanese crews and staff), shoot in Hongkong. Coz, it doesn't have a Japanese touch at all!
The story is lame with no depth, there are only comedy silly scenes and chasing action scenes.......typical Hongkong movie! x)
Oh well, I enjoyed Shingo's performance in the movie! Althou, I have to cringe a bit, evrytime I see feminine-Shingo =P

Watched: twice(/thrice?), collected the VCD

Likes: Shingo as Shibata, the comical scenes

Dislikes: the silly plot

Honogurai Mizu no Sokokara(Dark Water)

Production Year: January 2002
Rate: 8.0
Scriptwriter: Yoshihiro Nakamura & Ken-ichi Suzuki(based on the novel by Koji Suzuki)

Synopsis: Yoshimi(Hitomi Kuroki) is a single mother battling to take care of her daughter Ikuko(Rio Hanna). They move into a run down apartment building with a rather strange damp patch on the ceiling. The lack of a decent handyman means this DIY problem goes untreated and Yoshimi is convinced a malevolent presence is hunting her daughter. The damp patch continues to grow, a child in a yellow raincoat is repeatedly glimpsed and a Hello Kitty bag keeps turning up no matter how many times Yoshimi throws it out.....

Acting performances:

Hitomi Kuroki as Yoshimi Matsubara
She's a great actress, and I don't have any words to say, other than...her acting is satisfying!^^
 
 
 
 

First sight: A friend recommended this to me, so I watch it!

Comments: Actually, I'm an anti-horror movies, coz the images that will stick in my head for quite amount of time >_< But, I'm so glad...at least, this horror movie is not as scary as The Ring!!^^
Dark Water, actually, is a good horror movie! But I'm a little dissapointed with the story itself(since I compared it with 'Ring' story).
The horror and tense scenes?? Don't ask! It's definitely scary and I had to close my eyes several times...I even got goosebumps >_< But, the story is shallow and why the ending is so tragic?>_<

Watched: once, borrowed the VCD from a friend

Likes: What can I possibly like from a horror movie?!?O_O Oh, well...okay...the scary and tense scenes!^^

Dislikes: the ending

Juvenile

Production Year: 2000
Rate: 9.0
Scriptwriter: Takashi Yamazaki

Synopsis: 11 years old Yusuke, and his classmates are camping in a woods when suddenly they see a bright light streak over the treetops and into the woods. The boys takes off into the woods towards the light. There in the ground, growing, they find a small round metallic object. Just as Yusuke reaches to touch the mysterious object up pops a set of eyes and the object says, "I am Tetra, I meet Yusuke".
Tetra is kept from adult eyes in Yusuke's closet. Tetra being creating wonderful gadgets using "never-seen-before" technology. It would appear Tetra was designed with some ultra-high-tech artificial intelligence. But where this Tetra come from and what is Tetra's purpose? As the relationship grows between Yusuke and Tetra, these questions are answered.

Acting performances:

Very good performances from the children!! Especially, An Suzuki, she can really act! I think, she's actually quite older than the boys...15-16 or so^^

Shingo Katori as Soichiro Kanzaki
Sugoi kawaaaaiii!!!!^O^ Wahhh....I love his character so much here! He acted as Kanzaki who works as an electrician, but he's also an inventor, and most people think he's a weirdo, coz he likes to invent weird stuffs. However he has this sweet personality!! I love it!^_~ I esp. love that scene where he talks to Noriko(Misaki's cousin) at night, about the time machine he's about to invent...he thought he bored her. But, Noriko said she's not bored at all, she's actually very interested. Kanzaki then smile sooo sweetly!!! It's also sooo 'once in a blue moon', to see Shingo looked very goood-looking! =P

Miki Sakai as Noriko Kinoshita
Noriko is Misaki's cousin. A good performance from Miki Sakai, too. She don't have much role here and her character is an ordinary girl, so nothing special can be mention^^ Oh, as the alien, I can say her acting is good!!^_~
 
 
 

First sight: Looks interesting...and of course, because of Shingo! Who else? Heheh...

Comments: Wahhhh!! I definitely didn't expect this movie to be very gooood!!! I love it! This is a mix of adventure, science fiction and mecha! Hontou ni omoshiroi!!
At first, I thought this is just about an adventure story of a group of 11-12 yrs old kids...that IS indeed the case. But, there's more! There are aliens, too! Reminds me of Independence Day, Men In Black, X-Files and those Hollywood sci-fi movies^^ And, I wouldn't expect that kind of climax!! Haha...interesting! If you like anime with mecha-s, you'd love the climax scene of this movie!!!^_~
I love the friendships between the 4 kids! And love to see how Yusuke had a crush on Misaki, but having a hard time to confess his feelings^^ Same case with Kanzaki and Noriko, the adult ones, they just felt like they find each other, after having a talk together and turns out they're experiencing the same thing, people seldom wants to listen to their opinions...and apparently, Noriko love scientific inventions too. Aren't these two just meant to be together??? =P

Just so you know, this movie was dedicated to Mr. Fujiko Fujio, the creator of DORAEMON! That's why the basic story and characteristics are almost the same:
There are 4 kids as main characters, 3 boys and 1 girl(just like in Doraemon: Nobita, Shizuka, Giant and Suneo).
Yusuke likes Misaki just like Nobita had a crush on Shizuka.
Tetra comes from the future sent by adult Yusuke to help child Yusuke. Same case with Doraemon, which is a robot sent by adult Nobita from the future, to help child Nobita ^_^

This is one interesting movie!! It's very rare to find any other live action J-movies with the same genre! Don't miss it!!^O^

Watched: several times, recorded to videotape

Likes: The interesting story, the great child actors, Shingo as Kanzaki, special effects^^

Dislikes: Can't think of any, so far!!

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