Starring:
Lee Joon-ki as Min
Miyazaki Aoi as Nanae

Min is a Korean high school student who has moved to Japan with his father, who is a pottery teacher. Riding his bike around Kyoto, he accidently crashes and is cleaning his wound at a shrine where is meets Nanae, who works there. Min doesn’t understand a word of Japanese, and Nanae doesn’t know any Korean. At first, the two communicate through hand gestures and broken English. After enrolling at the high school is father will be teaching at, he chases after Nanae who coincidentally is also a student there. He pursues her pretty aggressively and slowly the two overcome the language barriers, but unfortunately that’s not the only thing that is destined to keep them apart.

One thing that’s really important to enjoy this movie is to be able to tell the difference between Japanese and Korean. If it all sounds the same, then the whole idea of overcoming cultural and language barriers is mostly lost. And that’s a lot of what the movie is about. Like this: when Min first realizes that Nanae is a student at his school as well, he pursues her kind of aggressively, but his friend and classmates tells him that Japanese girls (especially Kyoto girls) are shy and that he needs to go slower. Or this scene where Min races this random monk on a bicycle that he bumps into on the street, just for kicks. If you’ve ever been somewhere where you couldn’t understand their language, you can probably understand Min’s frustrations and funny coincidences. Generally, his integration into daily life can be quite entertaining.

The film moves at a pretty good pace, though it can be slow at some points. And while Lee Joon-ki and Miyazaki Aoi are both excellent actors, I don’t know if I really believe in them as a pairing. I still think the romance aspect was well done, though. There’s definitely that aspect of fate and that through all these obstacles they still managed to find each other. It’s ironic that the first time they meet, the only way they can communicate is through broken English. But even still, without really speaking each other languages, they find this common ground and become so close.

While Virgin Snow is a pretty enjoyable romance film, the best theme here was overcoming the cultural and language barriers between the two leads. If you like these types of quiet love stories or cultural stories, then this film is for you.

Buy this movie: HK DVD | J Special Edition

Starring:
Eguchi Yosuke as Hayama Shinsuke
Ando Masanobu as Nohara Takashi
Miyazaki Aoi as Michiki Mari
Kojima Hijiri as Detective Shibata
Torihada Minoru as Konno Soichiro
Matsuda Ryuhei as Picasso

This film centers around people who suffer from a disorder known as Synesthesia. People who have it will, when sensing one thing, will also sense something else. It’s kind of hard to explain theoretically but easier to understand in examples. Someone with Synesthesia might see a letter or number connected with a color. Or maybe they would associate sounds with colors. It’s a very interesting concept to use in conjunction with a murder mystery, which is what Gimmy Heaven (aka Synesthesia) essentially is.

Michiki Mari seems to just have death surrounding her. Her third foster parents were murdered, as were her previous foster families. However, something unique about this murder is a wine stain left in a shape known to be connected to a serial killer known as Picasso. The detective investigating believes that Picasso is a synesthete and that there may be another synesthete who can “translate” what this mark means. Hayama Shinsuke has synesthesia, which makes him feel distanced from his friend/partner, Takashi, and his girlfriend. By chance, the two end up taking in Mari. Soon, Picasso contacts Shinsuke, telling him to give Mari over to him. Of course, this leads them to believe that Mari is Picasso’s next target.

While Synesthesia is definitely a very interesting concept to explore, there is something to be desired. Even my love for mysteries couldn’t make me enjoy this movie more. Generally, it’s hard to follow and at the end, there seemed to be so many unexplained things and plot holes abound. One of the last scenes attempted to depict what a synesthete might see a particular scene. Unfortunately, I don’t think it was quite meant to be that way. For a movie that focuses on synesthetes, I still don’t quite understand how they view the world. I understand logically what it is but am still not exactly sure how it’s supposed to work.

The performance of the leads was very good but, unfortunately, can’t fix the faults in writing. I think this film bites off more than it can chew. Throughout the film, there are many side plots introduced but never really actualized. There must be a better way to highlight Synesthesia and its effect without losing it in all the other plotlines. Maybe in a more slice of life type film without the burden of a complicated plotline.

Buy this movie: HK DVD | J First Press Edition

Gaichu (Harmful Insect)

Starring:
Miyazaki Aoi as Kita Sachiko
Seiichi Tanabe as Ogata
Sawake Tetsu as Takao
Amamiya Ryo as Tokugawa
Ishikawa as Kyuzo
Aoi Yuu as Natsuko
Ryo as Kita Toshiko

Miyazaki Aoi stars as Sachiko, a trouble middle school student in Gaichu or Harmful Insect. The film starts with the scene of her mother attempting to commit suicide, setting the melancholy tone. And although Sachiko always wears her school uniform, she has stopped going for a long time. Suffering from loneliness, she searches for some kind of peace anywhere and for awhile finds solace with others who don’t confine themselves to society’s rules. Eventually, her only friend at school convinces her to come back to school. But things just don’t get better for her.

Miyazaki Aoi always seems to star in these kinds of film where there is little dialogue. Maybe it’s because she is so effective in expressing feeling solely through body language.

The story is rather serious and quite tragic. The movie basically chronicles her downward spiral and though there is peace for a little while, it just becomes uncontrollable at the end. Even though she is so young (only a 7th grader!), she is forced to mature and become an adult. But even though she is forced to grow up, she is still just a child. Her life is just tragedy after tragedy and so many horrible things happen even though the movie spans less than a year’s worth of time.

Throughout the movie, she corresponds to her former teacher through letters. It breaks up the film with Miyazaki Aoi’s character often asking for advice and because of the nature of letters, his response is too late for her to absorb. Often time, the advice we are seeking comes too late and you just can’t go back and change things.

Overall, Gaichu is an interesting and tragic look at adolescence with a great performance from Miyazaki Aoi.

Buy this movie: J Special Edition

Waters

Starring: Oguri Shun, Hirayama Hirouki, Morimoto Ryoji, Kirishima Yusuke, Matsuo Toshinobu, Suga Takamasa, Katsurayama Shingo, Narumi Riko

Seven guys who need money start working at a host club. When they all get there, they discover that the manager of the club has run off with all their desposits. But the owner is kind and says that they can stay and work as hosts if they also run the entire venue themselves. With nothing left to lose, they decide to accept his offer. Also in the story are five women who are now successful entrepreneurs. Oguri Shun’s character knows the CEO and they had one of those friendly acquaintances/almost-lovers-but-not relationship.

Waters is your basic friendship story of several people who get thrown together randomly. The host club backdrop gives it a little spice, as well as plenty of humor, since they are all amateurs. It’s a lot of fun and Oguri Shun is really good in this one. I absolutely love the ending, though. It’s just too funny. Waters doesn’t have the most compelling storyline, but it is a definitely a fun watch.

Buy this movie: HK DVD | Korea Limited Edition

Backdancers

Starring: Hirayama Aya, hiro, Sonim, Saeko, Tanaka Kei, Hasebe Yu

The story starts out with Miyu (Hirayama Aya) and Yoshika (hiro) as high school students who love to dance. They always sneak into clubs just to dance, but one night are caught by the police and are forced to quit school. After that, they meet Juri (Hasebe Yu) and the three begin dancing as a trio. Juri is eventually scouted and debuts as the next big pop sensation. Miyu and Yoshika are brought in as back-up dancers along with Tomoe (Sonim) and Aiko (Saeko). Together they are known as the Backdancers. But what are they to do when suddenly Juri decides to retire and get married?

Although Backdancers is a friendship story, it also mixes in a bit of romance, family life, and music industry criticism. I’ve watched this movie like three or four times, but for me it doesn’t get old (or at least, it hasn’t yet). The plot is fun and interesting and the cast is great as well. They all come off as very good friends and get along really well. It’s like in romance stories, one of the most important thing is for the two leads to have good on-screen chemistry, well Backdancers has really good on-screen friendship-chemistry and that’s what makes this movie so good.

Buy this movie: HK DVD

Secret

Starring: Jay Chou, Guey Lun Mei, Anthony Wong, Tseng Kai Xuan

Jay Chou stars as Ye Xiang Lun who transfers to a music school where his father (Anthony Wong) is a teacher at. There he meets Xiao Yu (Guey Lun Mei), a mysterious and charming pianist. The two become very good friends, but everytime Xiang Lun asks anything personal about Xiao Yu, she would only say that it is a secret.

I enjoyed this sweet love story and the entire thing was very pretty to watch. Also being set at a music school, the soundtrack was really good (especially since Jay Chou is a great composer). But this movie has a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions, which if you can ignore them all, it will the movie more entertaining. Guey Lun Mei is really charming and a dream to watch and is definitely the star of the movie.

Buy this movie: HK DVD

Ao to Shiro no Mizuiro

Starring: Miyazaki Aoi, Oguri Shun, Aoi Yuu, Konishi Manami

Actually, this isn’t a movie, but a drama special. So it’s like a movie, right? Anyway, Kaede (Miyazaki Aoi) and Kasumi (Aoi Yuu) used to be best friends. But when they entered high school, Kasumi became more popular than Kaede, causing her to start bullying her ex-friend. One day, she meets new student Takumi (Oguri Shun) who is an expert at picking locks. She asks him to open the door to the school roof, but he refuses, saying that he’ll teach her how to pick locks instead.

Maybe this sounds like a friendship story, but it’s more like a bullying story. It’s rather short, clocking in at a mere 45 minutes, but it definitely accomplishes as much plot-wise as a full-length movie. The leads are all very good, you get to see a young Miyazaki Aoi, Oguri Shun, and Aoi Yuu. It’s interesting to note that they are all accomplished actors/actresses now (including Konishi Manami). There aren’t any subtitles available for this special, but it should be mostly okay, because there isn’t very much dialogue and most of the story is conveyed through body language.

Buy this movie: Japan DVD

Starring:
Miyazaki Aoi as young Yu
Eita as young Yosuke
Nishijima Hidetoshi as older Yosuke
Nagasaku Hiromi as older Yu
Sayuri Oyamada as Yu’s older sister
Ryo Kase
Maho Nonami
Nao Omori

High schooler Yu is in love with her friend Yosuke. He is often at the riverbank playing a song repeatedly, but when Yu comes to sit with him, he always puts his guitar away. Recently, he gave up sports and took up the guitar, deciding to (hopefully) make a living out of music. The two often walk together in a comfortable silence, though sometimes this silence is broken by Yosuke asking simple questions about Yu’s older sister.

One day, Yu kisses Yosuke, but the only response she gets is his departure. Fast forward 17 years and both Yu and Yosuke are leading quiet and lonely lives. They haven’t spoken since high school. They meet by chance in an audition, because they both happen to be working in the music business. The two go out for drinks after and reminisce about times past. They find that the feelings they have left behind are perhaps still very much present.

Su-Ki-Da is a very slow-paced film and those who rely on quick dialogue and a lot going on will be bored very quickly in. The movie is so beautiful, though; clear blue skies, riverbanks, quiet streets, just so pretty to look at. Miyazaki Aoi and Eita are able to capture the tension and uncertainty in the little dialogue and subtle expressions and actions. And then their older counterparts did just as well in showing the burdens that they carried from their youth.

What I liked about this film was how uncertain things were. Of course we know that Yu likes Yosuke. Maybe we can figure out that Yosuke likes Yu’s sister, but we can’t be quite as sure. And does he like Yu back? This same uncertainty is brought up later and as we often find ourselves, there aren’t always clear answers as to why things happen or are the way they are

For those who can look past the slow pacing and enjoy the purity of the emotions of the characters, Su-Ki-Da is a must see film.

Buy this movie: K DVD (Eng subs)

Starring
Miyazaki Aoi as Satonaka Shizuru
Tamaki Hiroshi as Segawa Makoto
Kuroki Meisa as Toyama Miyuki
Aoki Munetaka as Shirohama Ryo
Koide Keisuke as Sekiguchi Kyohei
Oonishi Asae as Yaguchi Yuka
Uehara Misa as Inoue Saki

I watched Miyazaki Aoi in NANA; she was great and I was interested in her other works. And I do love Ai Otsuka’s ballads (the movie’s theme is Renai Shashin), so when I found subs for Tada, Kimi wo Ashiteru, I had to watch it.

It starts out at the end of the story where Makoto flies to New York to meet his good friend Shizuru. He then recounts the story of their unusual friendship. Makoto is somewhat autistic and has a difficult time socializing with others, so he often keeps to himself. Shizuru is an eccentric young woman who acts and dresses many years younger than she actually is. The two meet on the first day of university when Shizuru is attempting to cross a busy intersection and Makoto points out to her that it would be better to cross at an intersection with a light. He leaves and she still stands at the intersection waiting to cross. Makoto is taken by this and pulls out his camera and snaps a photograph. He later notices her in a class and sometime later, she joins him in the school cafeteria. This is where their tentative friendship starts.

Shizuru follows Makoto to a gated forest. He enjoys photography and sneaks in there to take pictures. Together they discover different parts of the forest and it kind of becomes “their place,” somewhere where it is only the two of them. Eventually Shizuru also takes up photography.

Miyuki is a beautiful girl who befriends Makoto, who incidentally likes Miyuki. Makoto becoming friends with Miyuki and her group create a little rift between Shizuru and Makoto, since Shizuru is known as the strange girl, and his new friends poke fun at her. Makoto makes things right with Shizuru and they once again start taking pictures together again. He takes her back to his house to use his darkroom to teach her how to develop photos. Soon Shizuru and Miyuki also become friends. However, Shizuru knows that Makoto is in love with Miyuki. And in turn tells him that she just want to like the person that she likes like.

Shizuru and Makoto decide to enter an amateur photography competition near the end of their university years. Shizuru wants to take a picture of the two of them kissing in the forest. She says that she wants that for her birthday present; Makoto agrees. After that day, however, Shizuru disappears without a trace.

Tada, Kimi wo Ashiteru is a beautifully crafted film. The pace is fairly slow compared to American films, but that is one thing that I enjoyed about it. There’s a simplicity in the story that is just very charming.

Miyazaki Aoi is great as a cute, innocent university student; the character she creates is really very lovable. She has some lines that you just think, “what was that?!” to, but I think that it just adds to her character’s emphasis on not being mature yet.

I also liked Tamaki Hiroshi’s character a lot, though a bit too shy and non-confrontational at times. Kuroki Meisa’s character is so seemingly perfect that you almost doubt that someone like her really exists. I mean, who really know anyone like Miyuki?

This movie is definitely worth seeing if you enjoy slice-of-life or romance stories. If you’re a fan of the three actors/actresses listed above, it won’t disappoint either.

Buy this movie: HK DVD | J Special Edition