Movies
A cute little drama about two very different people who find each other by accident and help each other get by some past trauma. It's certainly not the most original premise and the film gladly sticks to conventions, but there are some fun and poignant scenes that make it worth a watch. The performances are decent (though Kohinata does lay it on very thick), the pacing is pleasant and the mix of drama and lighter moments is easy to stomach. The presentation is basic though and with so many better films to choose from, this isn't a high-priority watch. But it's fun enough when starved for lighter Japanese dramas.Read all
Based on an old manga. That probably gave the maker the idea that they could get away with some ultracheap CG (that retro feel, you know). Well, they were wrong. Tetsujin 28 is a decent enough Kaiju flick, but the monster/mecha battles are absolutely ridiculous for a film made in 2007. And that's the core of the film. Some decent acting talent and a classic Kaiju structure could've made this into an amusing sci-fi romp, but the CG really is unbelievably bad. The robots look dumb and the PS1-like action scenes are an affront. It's a shame, Japan can do a lot better than this, this is just lazy milking of a popular franchise.Read all