Ikigami

It went scary when the goverments have putted your limit of time (or means : your time to death)

Synopsis

A place, somewhere, that bears a strong resemblance in history and environment to Japan. Its return to prosperity after defeat in war is due to a certain law, a pillar of the state. This is the Special Law for the Maintenance of National Prosperity. 24 hours before this capsule is to bring about death, an official of the Ministry of Health and Welfare brings a letter announcing impending death, an ikigami. Those who receive this ikigami letter have 24 hours of absolute freedom to do anything and everything they want. Kengo Fujimoto has made his way through university and taken a job with the Ministry. His work now is delivering these ikigami letters.

Dear Citizen: Thank you for your loyalty. You've no doubt noticed that the world is a troubled place. People are apathetic, lazy, unmotivated. You've probably asked yourself

WHY ISN"T ANYTHING BEING DONE TO STOP THIS SYSTEMATIC DECLINE?

Rest assured that measures are being taken. Beginning immediately, we will randomly select a different citizen each who will be killed within 24 hours of notification. We believe this will help remind all people how precious life is and how important it is to be a productive, active member of society.

Thank you for your continued attention and your cooperation and participation... (source : http://asianmediawiki.com)

This movie was released on September 27, 2008, and directed by Tomoyuki Takimoto.

Review
I thought Japan was the bunker of comics rite? hahaha. This movie was based on original comic with the same title 'ikigami'. And before i watch the movie, i didnt read the comic first. But i guess it wouldnt be that hard to understand the story tho u're not reading it first. It was easy-flowing story.
It is a story about government new policy about how they want to the citizen realize how important life is and how to be a productive member of society, instead of lazying around. Within the story on the movie, the government chosen Tsubasa Tanabe (a singer), Naoki Takizawa (a psychotic teenager), and Satoshi Izuka (a nomad of job in order to fulfill his sister's life). 
The story is lead by Kengo Fujimoto as the messenger man from the government to the person who was elected to be the death. Kengo himself was not sure about his job, and began to stressing himself because of his cruel job. He began to betray the government by helping Satoshi Izuka to fulfill his last wishes for his sister, which is illegal for Kengo to feel sympathic and get in touch with the life of the client he hold. After that, he also helping his client Naoki Takizawa, a psychotic teenager who wants to kill his own mother, by (again) touching the life of the person who was elected to die.
But there is one person who was giving him the first 'wake up call' to convince him that the policy and his job itself is not right. A singer Tsubasa Tanabe, sang his last 'wishes to life' on a song called 'michisirube' or means 'signpost'. Here's the song so you can a bit imagine about the story, because i think this song is tellin you the whole story of the movie.

 

Three scenes of the people who had chosen to die : (1) Tsubasa Tanabe, (2) Naoki Takizawa, (3) Satoshi Izuka

Tho the creepy policy to send the citizen to die, and the very stressful Kengo Fujimoto with his job. This movie is a tearful one, alongside the touching story of the three people who had chosen to be the death, which is said by the government as 'serving the country'.


Overall : 
Storyline :★ ★ ★, 5 (3.5) of 5
Acting    : ★ ★ ★ ,75 (3.75) of 5

Trailer :

SAD Movie

The love is connected through a lot of circumstances. Separation is another face of love.

Synopsis :

The film focuses on the stories about four relationships and their trials, pains, heartaches, and subsequent separations. The plot lines eventually connect in some way, but they remain unrelated for the most part.

The first story tells of a firefighter and his girlfriend named Su-Jung who works in a TV station as a news translator for the mute. She's waiting for him to propose, focused on the rationale that given his dangerous job, she likes the idea of him having to think of her, to hesitate for a while before jumping into danger. He, on the other hand, is waiting for that perfect opportunity, setting and all, before popping the question. The second story is about a deaf girl who works as a costume character in a theme park. There she meets a young artist who she begins to develop feelings for quickly; yet refuses to take off her mask in front of him for quite some time. The third story is of a mother and child. The mother was too busy to spend time with her young son, until an illness confines her to a hospital bed. There the mother and son begin to communicate more and more. Lastly, the story of a boy and girl who have just broken up. The girl's reason being that she needs a more stable guy with a good job. The unemployed ex-boyfriend goes off and finds himself a job helping other couples break up. Hoping that if he earns enough money, he could woo his loved one back. (source : http://en.wikipedia.org)

This movie was directed by Kwon Jong-kwan, and was released by the year of 2005.

Review : 

The film was based on as story of eight people. Each person is connected through some circumstances. The firefighter (Jin-Woo)  meet her love (Su-Jung) when he saves her older sister (Su-Eun) which is also a deaf from a fire. Su-Eun met an artist (Sang-Gyu) in a central park the place that she works in as a 'mascot doll'. Then a mother (Suk-Hyun) is connected with her child , then coincidently connected with a desperate young man (Ha-Seok) who did a job as 'a person that helping other couples to break up'. Then Ha-Seok conneceted to the Child's mother (Suk-Hyun) when he has to give a 'message' that given by the kid to his mother at the hospital. And the young man itself (Ha-Seok) is connected with his ex-girlfriend (Ju-Yung) again ,when he has to send the break up message that given by his ex-girlfriend to himself.

Kinda confused to read huh? but believe me, when you watch the movie.. it was not that complicated. It is very easy flowing story, and i love it. But as same as the tittle 'SAD movie', it is a very sad movie because there is really no happiness in here. The story was package beautifully from the begining. But i kinda dislike the ending scene because i think its kinda weird. But i really like how the story is connected. it is very well-flowing and unique.

And my point is : this is really worth it for a 'female movie', because i think this kinda movie wouldnt fit to a man's head right?. And you got to prepare your tissue for watching this. Because it is really a 'sad movie'.

 

Overall :

Storyline :  ★ ★ ★ ,75 (3.75) of 5

Acting    :  ★ ★ ★ ,5 (3.5) of 5

Trailer :

The Sky Crawlers

Kirudore, they were designed to live in adolescence to die-young and being produce again by the cloning.

Synopsis :

The Sky Crawlers is set in an alternate history where, although the world is at peace, in order to ease the tension of a populace accustomed to war and aggression, private corporations contract fighter pilots to stage combat operations against each other for show. The film introduces a mystery involving characters called Kildren (キルドレ Kirudore /"kill-dolls"^?), humanoids genetically designed to live eternally in adolescence until shot down in air battles presented commercially for entertainment, after which they are reproduced by cloning. (source : http://en.wikipedia.org)

This movie is based on a novel with the same tittle "the sky crawlers" that written by Hiroshi Mori. And the movie itself is directed by Mamoru Oshii, and was published on August 2, 2008.

Review :

When i watch this, honestly i was expecting too much because it wons a lot of award outside and inside the publisher country, Japan. And when i watch this i started to curling my forehead. why? it is because the story itself is heavy and there's lot of silence scene on the movie that makes me thing, what was that for?. If you really wanna understand the whole plot, please stay at your TV to watch the whole movie and not even left a part of it. Because you really have to watch every single scene to understand the flow of the story.

Beside of that, lots of people that have watched this before me said that it has a TERRIFIC air battles scene with high-technic computing or whatever it is called. And well yes that is true ! the graphic of the animation is great ! tho the story kinda make you curling your forehead, but it is really paid off with the terrific graphic scenes.

And i will give a point : tho people think that it some kinda fighting movie with air battles scene or what (if you see the tittle of it). Basically, it is about a love story that bonds between the fact that they are a kirudore that lives in adolescence to die young. It is a love story between the two main character, which is Kirudore, Yuichi kannami and Suito Kusanagi. 

And please wacth the whole movie to understand the story :))

Overall :

Strotyline  : ★ ★ ★ (3) of 5

Animation : ★ ★ ★ ★,5 (4.5) of 5

Trailer :

When I Turned Nine

" A Story of An Unforgettable First Love "

Synopsis :
The film talks about Baek Yeo-min (Kim Seok), a thoughtful and matured nine-year old boy's life during the 1970s in Korea. During a school punishment he meets a new haughty girl named Jang Woo-rim (Lee Se-yeong) and at first they both don't like each other, but soon a path of love connects them both together. Trying to help his one-eyed mother after noticing a pair of expensive glasses in a store, Yeo-min decides to make his own money by getting a job as an ice-cream boy, selling ice cream and doing chores until his mother notices the money he made and punishes Yeo-min, saying that he shouldn't have made money from his summer jobs. For many months they were best friends, but their romance path is broken when she has to move back to Seoul to meet her father once again. The night before she departed, Yeo-min gave her a surprise by kissing her on the cheek and ran away. Although both of them could not see each other again, they still remember each other and Yeo-min notices a present given to him from Woo-rim- a pair of glasses for his mother, noticing how guilty he first looked in the beginning. Yeo-min was surprised when Woo-rim told him that she was actually in love with him. Walking away with his friends into the snow at the end of the movie, he looks back with a glum expression on his face. (source : http://en.wikipedia.org)
This movie was published by the year of 2004, and directed by Yun In-ho

Review :
At the beginning of the story, im kinda irritated with the character Jang Woo-rim as the leading women on the movie. I was kinda angry because she was really a 'spoil kids', while the main character, Baek Yeo-min,   always defend her in any case. But then, when i slowly watch and watch till the half part of it ~ im starting to get teary beacuse of the story. I never thought it would be that sad. I mean, it is really an unpredictable story. And the best 'teary part' is at the end of the movie when Yeo-min got a goodbye gift' from Woo-rim. And the gift is really really unexpected. And my point is : tho its a bit irritating at the begining, but please not to stop watch till the end! because you really cant imagine the ending would be that beautiful. It is really a good story of a first love.

Overall :
Storyline : ★ ★ ★ (3) of 5
Acting    : ★ ★ ★,5 (3.5) of 5














Trailer :

Love Wind Love Song

"A love that bonds with a cross-cultural relationships"

Sinopsis : 
With a mysterious motive in mind, emotionally fragile Seoul businessman Tae-hie decides to take a short break in the romantic island of Cheju. Not long after reaching his destination, Tae-hie foils a bag-snatch outside the airport and subsequently comes into contact with lonely tour guide Young-seo. Despite their respective emotional baggage, the pair quickly become friends and decide to spend some time together touring Cheju and the other outlying islands. Young-soo soon nurses an affection for the quiet and mild-mannered visitor, but finds her companion far more cautious about how he feels. The potential relationship reaches a stand-still when Tae-hi's real reason for visiting Cheju becomes clear and Young-soo is left wondering what is really under his phlegmatic surface. (source : http://asianmediawiki.com)
This movie was released on  February 13, 1999. And directed by  Dae-yeong Park


Review : 
This movie was released on 1999. Tho its kinda old, but i watch this movie at the year of 2008. And i guess, this was one of the most 'promising' romantic movie ever. Why it should be name as 'promising'? its simply because i really hate to watch such a cheesy romantic movie, with plots that u already know the ending. But this one is definitely not. With the main cast that played by a very well-known actor Jang Dong Gun as Tae-hie and Ko So Young as Yong-Seo~ i mean, if its played by Jang Dong Gun.. then it will be good huh? i really got attract first to watch this when i know he played on it. Beside that fact, the whole movie plot is very unique, from the relationship that first started when tae-hie visited cheju island and met Yong-Seo as her tour-guide. The love starting to fluttered between the fact that Tae-hie is a 'land-man' or 'a man from a big city' that known as a lover by the people of a small town named Cheju. It is a cross-cultural relationships and i will give a point : THIS ONE REALLY ROMANTIC ! :))

 

Overall : 
Storyline : ★★★★ (4) of 5
Acting    : ★★★★  (4)  of 5


Trailer :