Dragon Ball Super (Japan 2017)

With, "Super," the Dragon Ball universe is back and better than ever. The same characters you've known throughout the years with new ones that are actually interesting and a plot that centers around action. What's not to love? Well, we'll get into that.

When we first see Goku again, he's living the farm life with his wife Chichi and son Goten. A pretty ordinary existence for one of the strongest warriors in the universe, but you know that things won't stay that way for long. Beerus, the God of Destruction, foresees the coming of a Super Saiyan God, and with his right-hand man Whis, begins the search for this being. Beerus makes the rounds, interrupting Bluma's birthday party and picking fights with Buu and others, all the while threatening to destroy the universe unless he gets some answers. Vegeta seems to grasp the power of Beerus and refuses to step up to him, regardless of the chaos being brought down around them. Natrually, Goku, sensing the power from Beerus, arrives and challenges him to a fight. Beerus sees the potential in Goku and realizes that there's more to this Saiyan than meets the eye. Vegeta, not wanting to be outdone, convinces Whis to let him train with him in order to become stronger. Goku eventually follows suit and the two of them are training harder than ever to become the best. 

Meanwhile, in the future, Trunks is grappling with a threat that has managed to destroy almost everything in his world. The mysterious Goku Black is hell bent on destruction and doesn't care who stands in his way. His only goal is to annihilate everything he sees. Trunks must rely on his companions both in his time and in the past to stop Black and there are more than a few twists involved with how his creation came to be. 

Beerus' twin brother Champa arrives to issue a challenge regarding the twelve universes. Champa wants all of the best foods that Earth has to offer and in order to get it, the warriors he selects from his universe will have to win over Beerus'. You see, each universe has a God of Destruction at the helm. After a series of battles takes place for the sake of food, the event itself grabs the attention of the Master of all Universes, Zeno-sama. His interest is piqued with the battles that took place and now he wants to hold a tournament of his own. This tournament would pit 10 of the best fighters from each of the universes against each other and only the winning universe would remain in existence. The stakes couldn't be higher. Goku enlists ten of the best warriors, including Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, to name a few, to comprise the team for universe seven and an epic battle for survival begins. Some of the fiercest competitors will challenge Goku like never before and Jiren is a name that will live on in DB lore forever.

You know I like to keep things spoiler free, hence the gaps in explaining the story. I personally think the Future Trunks saga is a high point in Super, so I don't want to give away the details, including how Goku Black comes to be. It's a really dark side to DB that really grabs you because there are real consequences taking place. I also think finding out who Goku chooses for the Tournament of Power is a fun thing to find out as a viewer as well because there's not shortage of characters to pull from. Some choices will certainly elicit a, "Whoa!" or a, "No way!" from you. The idea of a major tournament lends itself to Dragon Balls biggest selling point, which is the flashes action sequences. There's an abundance of that here and it's interesting to see all of the different character designs for all the fighters coming from different universes. I have to point out that I love Zeno. Period. He's both adorable and terrifying at the same time. The big elephant in the room with Super is that it's 131 episodes and even for the biggest Dragon Ball fan, I think that's more than a bit much. It almost goes without saying that there is a lot of filler here. I definitely think Super could have been tightened up well under 100 episodes. A particular low point for me was the return of Gohan and his Saiyaman character. A film crew begins making a movie about Saiyaman and Gohan gets involved with the stunts and in the process proves to Vidal and his daughter pan that he's a brave man, as well as a loving father and husband. It was a weird, misplaced story arc in the middle of Super and really didn't serve much purpose in my opinion. It's well documented at this point that the animation in Super, early on, is quite suspect and looks well below the standards you'd associate with Dragon Ball. This is true, but only for the first 15 episodes of so and then there's a noticeable change. There felt like two more major changes in animation style and quality as the series progress and trust me, by the end, you'll be blow away by it. Some of those final episodes felt like movie quality animation. 

I tried not to keep this review too long, but it's hard not to when the series is so long. I think Dragon Ball fans will love Super and I also think it's really accessible for those that use Super as an entry into the DB world. It has everything you love about DB but expands on it. It can be a slog at times but I'm glad I stuck with it. (Lee)

Grade: B+

I Saw The Devil (Korea 2010)

Are you willing to become the very thing that you're trying to stop? In the case of, I Saw The Devil that thing would be a vicious, cold-blooded killer. I can not believe it took me so long to finally see this movie but here we are and I might be slightly traumatized. 

NIS agent Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), is on the phone with his fiance Joo-yun, who happens to be stranded on the side of the snowy road with a flat tire, waiting for a tow-truck. He's a man that is always busy with work but naturally, he's concerned about Joo-yun's well being. An older man in a school shuttle van drives up and offers to help Joo-yun in her situation, but after being told that his help wouldn't be needed, he attacks Joo-yun and takes her back to his, for lack of a better word, lair. What takes place here is pretty much horrific and shows us that this killer is next level crazy. As the police begin the search for Joo-yun, her father, retired police chief Jang (Jeon Gook-hwan) and Soo-hyun arrive to the scene and are overwhelmed at the reality of what has happened to their Joo-yun. Soo-hyun takes some time away from work and together with chief Jang, compile a list of suspects. One-by-by, Soo-hyun begins to hunt these individuals down, coming up empty-handed until he learns about Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik), a school academy bus driver that's estranged from his parents and his own son. Kyung-chul takes women, who tend to be alone, and brutally rapes and murders them. When police Section Chief Oh (Chun Ho-jin) and his team also catch on to Kyung-chul, they try to bust him as he drives a shuttle full of school girls home. Kyung-chul knows that he's been discovered and before he can assault a young schoolgirl, Soo-hyun shows up and the two have an intense confrontation. Seemingly getting the upper hand, Soo-hyun doesn't kill Kyung-chul and doesn't hand him over to the police, but instead shoves a tracker down his throat, leaving him to ponder why he's still alive. From here, we have a game of cat-and-mouse where the protagonist is doing the torturing and the chasing deliberately, just to show Kyung-chul that he can get to him anytime he wants. However, as you can imagine when dealing with someone so dangerous, Soo-hyun get's a little too confident and prey gets away, leaving his loved ones exposed and at risk.

I'm a big fan of director Kim Jee-won (A Tale of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life), and I honestly don't know why I never watched I Saw The Devil until now. I think it was just a matter of, "I'll get around to it" and then life got in the way. I'm so glad it came across my radar again because I Saw The Devil is one of those films that reminds you of how hard Korea can go. I'm not easily shocked by films but there were moments here where I thought, "My God, this is hardcore." So yeah, it's not for the squeamish but if you can stomach it, there is so much pleasure in watching the tables turn on a villain as evil as Kyung-chul. It turns into a situation where you know that what Soo-hyun is doing isn't morally right and quite frankly, illegal. But you look past it (at least I did) because the movie does such a great job of putting you in the middle of his pain both in large part of Lee Byung-hun's fantastic and subdued performance and in the graphic nature of Kyung-chul's behavior. You want this monster stopped almost as much as Soo-hyun does. At 141 minutes, I never felt like the movie was dragging and the pacing keeps you glued to the screen the entire time. The only moments where I felt like maybe the film was going too far in trying to shock was when Kyung-chul meets up with his friend Tae-joo (Choi Moo-sung), who has a cannibalistic nature. He was a bit over-the-top for me and that whole scene tried dragging the movie more into the surreal and almost felt comical. 

I definitely think I Saw The Devil is a polarizing movie. Some will say, "How can you even watch a movie like that?" and there will be those that love it because it's extreme. More than that however, the performances by our two leads are amazing, the tension is real and how things play out will really keep you guessing. Yes, the content is graphic but it shouldn't be defined by it and to be honest I was only half-joking about being traumatized. (Lee)

Grade: A

Kimi no Na wa (Japan 2016)

A near perfect example of how to make an animated film that is so much more than just a, "cartoon", Kimi no Na wa (Your Name) is everything you come to expect from director Makoto Shinkai and is certainly his greatest cinematic achievement thus far.

Taki (Ryunoske Kamiki) lives in the big city of Tokyo and Mitsuha (Mone Kamishirashi) in the small fictional rural town of Itomori. Two teenagers who seemingly have no connection with one another live entirely different lives, yet suddenly find themselves in an unbelievable situation when they wake up to find they've switched bodies. Yes, the ol' body-switch movie but oh, this is so much more than that. Taki, like most boys (let's be honest), innocently explores his new found feminine physique and tries to adjust to life in Itomori now that he has a younger sister Yotsuha (Kanon Tani),  and Grandma Hitoha (Etsuko Ichiara) to live with in a town he doesn't know. Meanwhile, Mitsuha isn't necessarily thrilled to be in Taki's skin, but she's excited to be experiencing life in Tokyo, something she's been pining for. It doesn't take long for both Taki and Mitsuha's circle of friends begin to notice the changes in behavior. Seeing as how neither of them can explain the reasoning behind the randomness of when they switch, Taki and Mitsuha begin leaving each other messages and tips on how to navigate each other's lives until a solution for their problem can be found. Taki learns, from Grandma Hitoha, some very important aspects of ancient religious customs that involve the threads of time and how things are connected in this world. Mitsuha and her sister perform a ceremony for the God's involving kuchikamizake, an alcohol fermented with the saliva of the person performing the ceremony. Why am I telling you this? Well, because it plays an important part in how the story unfolds, but I refuse to spoil things for you. When the two stop switching bodies suddenly, Taki and his friends decide to take a trip to find Mitsuha and her hometown. However, something isn't quite right in his attempt to find her and Itomori isn't exactly what he remembered it to be. Where did Mitsuha go? And what happened to Itomori?

I'm not one to buy into the hype of anything and Kimi no Na wa certainly had plenty of that. I recall reading a lot about the stellar reception it was receiving by both audiences and critics alike and the fact that it ranks as the highest grossing film in Japan speaks volumes. My feeling after viewing Kimi no Na wa was that I truly understood why it is as praised as it is. Is it the best anime film ever made? That's purely subjective. However, it is one of the best anime films that I've personally ever seen. Makoto Shinkai continues to prove that he's the guy to watch in this industry. His storytelling and direction seem unmatched in this field and this film, as well as his prior works, drive that point home. He has a way, including with this film, to tap into the Japanese' strong love of nostalgia and their longing for the simpler life of high school days is a big component of that. CoMix studios, the animation studio that Shinkai-san works with, create some of the most stunning visuals in anime. It's no wonder he chooses to work with them because the level of detail and realism they create is the best I've seen. There are so many elements involved with this production that are firing on all cylinders and that's part of why Kimi no Na wa is so great. While initially, I didn't think the premise of body-swapping was all that original, it turns out to be so much more than that in the 2nd half. It's a film with a lot of heart, memorable characters, insanely good visuals, an amazing soundtrack composed by the popular group RadWimps and it is the sum of all these parts that create something truly special.

It's not everyday that you get an animated film of this caliber. One that both manages to take it's home country by storm, but also manages to charm audiences across the globe. Kimi no Na wa has left it's mark as something definitely worth-seeing and certainly worth remembering. (Lee)

Grade: A

Gurame (J-Drama 2016)

Completely forgettable, Gurame: The Prime Minister's Chef  is formulaic stuff that is not without its charms yet is lacking in anything of real substance.

You know as well I do that judging a book by it's cover is never a good idea. Kurumi Ichiki (Ayame Gouriki) is a perfect example of that old adage. On the service, she's just an ordinary waitress, albeit a young, pretty one with a sharp sense of wit about her. She also happens to be working at a traditional Japanese style restaurant with a customer base that includes high-ranking government officials. Unbeknownst to her fellow staff, Kurumi has more skills up her sleeve than just taking orders. A chance encounter with one of the aforementioned government figures, Seiji Koga (Kenichi Takito), turns Kurumi's world upside down and she suddenly finds herself cooking at the Prime Minister's official residence and being appointed personal chef for Prime Minister Ato (Fumiyo Kohinata). With Kurumi's superior cooking skill-set now out in the open, she finds herself butting heads with Haruki Kiyosawa (Issei Takahashi), the head of the PM's cooking team, who feels his territory is being tread upon. Luckily she has help in her sous chef, Tomokazu Tamura (Hiroki Miyake), to help her keep a cool head but can she manage to perform under pressure in order to maintain the rep of both herself and Prime Minister Ato?

By and large, Gurame is a rags to riches story but without our protagonist being all that destitute. She is, however, an ordinary person with a hidden superior skill-set and suddenly finds herself in a very surreal situation; cooking for the most high ranking official in the nation. Yes, like most dramas, you're asked to suspend disbelief. The main element of this show that occurs in each episode, of which there are 8, is that a threatening situation befalls the Prime Minister and his office and Kurumi is called upon to create a dish that conveys a message from the PM in order to make a point to the guest (PM's from other nations, Food company CEO's, rival candidates, etc.). Sure, the premise is silly, but it's all in good old fashioned light-hearted fun and on occasion, there is a semi-profound message to be had for the viewer. Gurame, I assume, is a show meant to showcase various high-class dishes in an attempt to ride the wave of newfound food appreciation in today's culture while injected a bit of food history in along the way. My biggest issue with this drama is that there is no over-arching story underneath the repetition of conflict that the PM faces in each episode with Kurumi and Tomokazu having to create a dish. Haruki is a suitable enough rival for Kurumi, in that he feels his position being encroached upon by someone who he deems unsatisfactory. We get it, he has a chip on his shoulder and he maintains that grudge for the entire series. However, there's really no background to him, so instead of coming across as a hardened individual that may be misunderstood, I'm left feeling like he's really just a jerk. There's also no struggle for Kurumi to overcome behind the scenes. It's simply just the challenging cook she faces in each episode. Somewhat interesting elements, such as the PM and his relationship with his mysterious daughter Riko (Risa Naito) for example, aren't really explored and heck, maybe they're not meant to. I should say, they're clearly not meant to because 8 episodes does not afford the writers a lot of time to flesh certain plot points out. Therein lies the problem. Most Japanese dramas are around 10 episodes, which isn't a lot, but they manage to feel more substantial than this. Giving the benefit of the doubt, I'll just accept that the writers didn't want anything deeper than what we got but I personally like a little more meat on the bone.

Unless you have an Ayame Gouriki bias, which I admittedly have, then there's really no reason for me to recommend Gurame. You hardcore foodies might have an okay time with it but I honestly wouldn't expect much. Confection! (Lee)

Grade: C+

Saki (J-Drama 2013)

This one was painful folks. Saki (サキ) is ridiculous on many levels and that's coming from a fan of the lead actress. I'd like to blame it on the fact that I'm just not the target demographic, but...

On the surface, Saki (Yukie Nakama), is a quiet, beautiful, successful nurse working in the children's ward of a major Tokyo hospital. However, when she's not showing that side of herself, she's living a much darker lifestyle filled with lies and manipulation. Hayato Nitta (Shohei Miura), is working for a local magazine and is approached by Saki who claims she is his older sister. Apparently they were separated years ago when they were just babies and he just happens to have been looking for his older sister. What a coincidence! Hayato is initially shocked and hesitant to embrace Saki and bring her into his life, but eventually, the two of them start getting close and he begins to feel as if he's truly gotten his sister back. Through their relationship, Saki  has a lot of questions for Hayato and she also seems to want a lot of details about specific individuals. Through a series of coincidences, or maybe not, Saki runs into certain men that she ends up seducing. They run the gamut from high-profile lawyer (Masato Hagiwara), to the chairman (Masanobu Takashima), of the hospital she works at! After the initial seduction, her not-so-sweet side comes out as she begins to prey on their weaknesses and manipulates them to the point where they feel like killing themselves. That's a powerful woman. However, why is she seeking out these specific men and wanting them dead? What exactly is their connection? As the proceedings unfold, Hayato grows more suspicious of his sister and you can only wonder if he'll have the nerve to eventually confront her. And if so, will Saki let him simply walk away?

There is drama and then there is DRAMA. Saki is over-the-top in so many ways, that at times it's a bit laughable. Don't get me wrong, Yukie Nakama is, in my opinion, one of the best actresses in Japan and her performance here is solid. Everyone else in the drama really does take a backseat to her ability as an actress. She's also the main reason I watched this series. It's just that the world her character lives in is so odd and far-fetched that you really have to suspend disbelief to find any enjoyment here. In regards to the other actors and actresses here, there really are no other stand-outs. Just a supporting cast serving their purpose. The musical cues, however seemingly insignificant, aggravated me, as did the song choices. My problem with them is that they didn't fit the mood of the show. Staying with the aggravation train, there are these moments throughout when Saki has finished mind-warping one of her victims that she celebrates by cooking herself a very expensive meal. I found it quite strange, but thought, "hey, that's just her thing", but frankly it annoyed me having to watch her eat, with close-ups of her mouth as she chewed. It felt excessive. I know, a small gripe, but a gripe nonetheless. The plot itself, the biggest thing a show has going for it, is Saki's biggest problem though. Once you, dear viewer, discover why Saki is hunting these men down, you'll either laugh out loud or shout an expletive at the screen. I opted for the latter and no, that isn't a good thing. It was just silly and to be honest, a huge let down when it all came to an end. When you painfully trudge through 10 episodes, you're expecting at least a semi-decent pay-off come episode 11. Sigh.

I can't find much good to say about Saki, aside from Yukie Nakama's performance, but even that isn't enough to warrant a recommendation. If I can make the analogy of a star baseball player being on a terrible team. His team loses all the time, yet he always performs well. You get the point, it's simply not enough. Some material is simply too flat for a star to elevate. (Lee)

Grade: D-

                                               (No clip, but here's a video for the theme song)

Phantom (K-Drama 2012)

What we have here is the closest thing to a really good Korean drama that I've personally seen. Phantom (유령), is a suspense-thriller that does a lot of things right, but of course, it also does a handful of things wrong. What were you expecting? Perfection?

The Seoul cyber-investigation team is on the hunt for a mysterious hacker that goes by the handle of Hades (Daniel Choi). Leading the team is Woo-hyun (So Ji-sub), and he's an emotionless, stone-faced figure who loves what he does and does it well. Hades seems to be one-step ahead of Woo-hyun and his team and when popular actress Shin Hyo-jung (Esom), turns up dead, the stakes certainly seem to be raised. What appears to be a suicide that no one could have imagined, ends up being much more complex as the team discover her laptop was hacked by Hades. Woo-hyun and Detective Yoo Gang-mi (Lee Yeon-hee), are sure there is more to her death then meets the eye. Also on the case is Detective Kwon Hyuk-joo (Kwak Do-won), a larger-than-life type who gets what he wants by intimidation. Woo-hyun eventually catches up to Hades after some slick surveillance and when he finally meets Hades face to face, he's shocked to discover the person in front of him is someone from his past. Hades explains to Woo-hyun that, of course, not everything is as it appears to be and that he isn't responsible for Shin Hyo-jung's death. Due to their history, Woo-hyun is inclined to give Hades the benefit of the doubt and in turn imparts some shocking truths about himself. Naturally, after he confesses his sins to Hades, an accident occurs, taking Woo-hyun's life and leaving Hades severely burned beyond recognition. Hades, filling in Gang-mi to the words Woo-hyun left him with, asks for her help in having doctor's surgically rebuild him with Woo-hyun's appearance so that he can go undercover. Whoa...let that sink in. Someone is responsible for Shin Hyo-jung's and Woo-hyun's death and to top things off, there are some shady cats working within the cyber-investigation team. All for what though? When the mysterious Jo Hyun-min (Uhm Ki-joon), finally shows his face, you just know this guy is up to no good, but who is the real villain here?

Phantom is a real whodunnit in every sense of the word. It's just one of those series that has you pointing the finger at pretty much anyone that pops up on screen. Aside from having a plot device straight out of 1997, (Face/Off), there is enough here to keep things fresh. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested in the proceedings, although there is a sub-plot involving a girl's school and Yoo Gang-mi starting around episode 7 that is so terribly out of place, it's baffling. It breaks up the flow of everything you saw in the first 6 episodes, has nothing to do with the overall story and just spoils what could have been a great series. Watching So Ji-sub is like watching a statue come to life. The man is expressionless throughout, yet somehow it feels appropriate for his character. Daniel Choi is definitely the more lively of the dynamic duo, but he doesn't have as much screen time after the face switch. I have to point out Lee Yeon-hee and her abysmal acting ability. It's beyond clear that she was cast in this role because they needed a pretty face, otherwise we'd be left with a total sausage fest. Jokes aside, her delivery is flat to the point where you feel like you're watching some amateur auditions. She really stinks up every scene she's in. Couple that with her schoolgirl sub-plot and you'll feel that even the writers struggled to think of how to use her. Okay, now that we've sunk a bit, Kwak Do-won is there to bring us right back up. His performance is what you're looking for in a great character. He's incredibly charismatic and lights up the screen whenever he pops up. A true scene-stealer. Sure, he's a bit over-the-top at times, but you still love to watch him act and that's what counts. Uhm Ki-joon's performance is another stand-out. This guy just oozes sleaze and you really just want to punch him in the face every time you see him. Don't get me wrong, with the type of character he's playing, that's a good thing. It's a strong performance. There's a whole host of supporting actors in Phantom, from the cyber-investgation team (with only Kwon Hae-hyo being of note), to the spunky little reporter friend of Hades/Park Gi-young, Choi Seung-yeon (Song Ha-yoon), who manages to avoid being completely annoying...but only just.

Phantom gets things right by have mostly capable actors in a story that at times is overly-complicated but still intriguing. Also, they don't force a love story in where it's clearly not needed. Just because you have a male and female lead doesn't mean they have to be a couple. So kudos to those responsible for not following that tired cliche. Those interested in watching something a little different in the stale, all-too-similar K-drama landscape should give this one a shot. (Lee)

Grade:C+

A Better Tomorrow (Korea 2010)

A remake of the 1986 Hong Kong film of the same name, A Better Tomorrow (무적자), is probably better off viewed as a it's own movie. After all, if you were to compare the two, you'd be sorely disappointed.

Set in the southern, port city of Busan, South Korea, Kim-hyuk (Joo Jin-mo), is a fairly high-ranking gangster, up to gangster shenanigans. His right-hand-man is Young-choon (Song Seung-heon), and these two, together, get the job done.While Kim-hyuk is climbing up the corporate ladder, so to speak, he's haunted by the memory of his younger brother Kim-chul (Kim Kang-woo), who he left behind (along with their mother), in North Korea. Kim-chul is still very much alive and well, and has been apprehended by the authorities. When Kim-hyuk gets wind of this, he is naturally overcome with emotion and wants nothing more than to make things right with his younger brother. This, as you can imagine, isn't so simple as Kim-chul, understandably, harbors a lot of resentment towards his older brother for leaving him and his mother behind. Kim-hyuk still has a job to do however, so he tells Young-choon that he'll be heading to Thailand with new gang recruit, Jung Tae-min (Jo Han-sun), in order to complete a deal that has been in the works. When the boys arrive in Thailand and get to the meeting point, things immediately don't feel right. Needless to say, things don't go as plan, a shoot-out occurs and ultimately, Kim-hyuk is left alone and thrown in prison for three years by the Thai police. During this period of time, Young-choon, refusing to look weak to others in their "business", seeks revenge on Kim-hyuk's behalf. He walks away from the experience, but just barely. Kim Chul, meanwhile, has enlisted in the police academy, with his motivation being that the killer of his mother was never found. Time keeps passing, Kim-hyuk continues to write his younger brother letters, and little bro continues to rip them up and toss them in the trash. Young-choon, having been out of the game for a minute, has been reduced to a cripple doing measly little jobs just to make a quick buck. To make matters worse, an unexpected individual with ties to these gentlemen and their past, has come to power and boy does he abuse the hell out of it! When Kim-hyuk finally gets out of prison, he returns to Korea under the promise that he'll lead an honest life. This turns into a case of easier-said-then-done once the aforementioned past acquaintance decides to ruin the brothers' lives. Kim-hyuk and Young-choon aren't the type to just lie down and take it, so they go after him with full force and together with a reluctant Kim-chul, the ports of Busan turn into a war-zone.

File this one under, yet-another-remake-that-didn't-need-to-happen. However, since it did happen, I'll talk about it as objectively as possible. The acting in A Better Tomorrow is fairly solid, especially from Joo Jin-mo, as Kim-hyuk. This dude delivers in a mostly convincing way and you do start to feel that he's emotionally tortured, being pulled between his present and past, the life he should lead and the life he's led, and so on. Part of me thought, "oh, this is going to be a hardcore action movie!", and it wasn't. Granted, the climax is pretty balls-to-the-wall action, but more an hour and thirty minutes, you're stuck with some pretty dry melodrama. I suppose there's too much focus on the pained Kim-hyuk trying to make things right with his younger brother. Kim-chul has been dealt a poor hand, but he comes across as a real whiner that at first you're sympathetic to, but that sympathy quickly turns into annoyance. Song Seong-hoon as Yoong-choon is an awesome character that you feel is just incredibly underused until the end. He has one great moment to shine when he seeks revenge for Kim-hyuk, but I suppose the filmmakers wanted to use him sparingly, which is a shame. Talking about the small amount of action that does take place, well...it's over-the-top, especially at the end. Nothing wrong with that really, but these dudes are shooing grenades and machine-guns on the docks and there's not one cop around for like 20 minutes. Suspend disbelief people...you just have to. The ending is different from the original Hong Kong film (which I promised I wouldn't talk about), but somehow you still see it coming from a mile away regardless.

After reading all of that you're probably thinking I came away from A Better Tomorrow mostly underwhelmed. Fair assessment smart guy (or gal)! A bunch of GQ Korean dudes posturing with weapons and over-the-top emotional scenes does not a good movie make. Chow Yun-fat reportedly said the same thing. (Lee)

Grade: D+

Naniwa Shonen Tanteidan (J-Drama 2012)

In Naniwa Shonen Tanteidan (浪花少年探偵団), cute elementary school kids and their equally cute, albeit in a different way, school teacher, help solve crimes in the big city of Osaka. Wait a second...okay, now the absurdity of that should've just sunk in. That being said however, this drama is actually a lot of fun. Embrace the absurd.

Shinobu Takeuchi (Mikako Tabe), is starting her year as a part-time teacher at Ooki elementary school. As expected, she has a varied group of students in her class, with three particular young ones standing out more than others. Ikuo (Koki Maeda), Teppei (Tatsuomi Hamada), and Hiroshi (Akira Takahashi), are all good friends and they, much like their new teacher, take a liking to sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. See, Shinobu sensei loves mysteries, detective stories, etc., and the boys love it as well, so much so that they start their own junior detective group. Ikuo serves as the leader, unofficially, while Teppei and Hiroshi help in doing the leg work. Ikuo's little brother Osamu (Oshiro Maeda), also helps the junior detectives but he's not old enough to officially join their group. Kids and their rules. When an incident occurs, involving one of her own students, Shinobu sensei decides to get way more involved than she probably should (or should legally be allowed to). Handling all the cases throughout the drama are detectives Shindo (Teppei Koike) and Urushizaki (Yasunori Danta), the latter being the older, more seasoned of the two, but both equally as bumbling and incapable. Each episode is a different, "case", and regardless of what's going on; whether it be a murder, a case of child abuse, domestic violence, you name it, Shinobu sensei and the Naniwa Junior Detectives are there to aid in solving the case. Aside from all the crime-solving, Shindo starts to develop a crush on Shinobu sensei over time because he's never seen, or met, anyone quite like her. She's bold, boisterous and strongly independent. Her unique traits also grab the attention of Yoshihiko Honma (Koji Yamamato), who is in town on business. He too seems smitten by Shinobu sensei's character. Ah snap, love triangle alert! To mix things up a bit, Shinobu sensei has a rival teacher in Haruna sensei (Fumino Kimura), the cold, stick-in-the-mud music teacher that also happens to be obsessed with businessman Honma. Between dealing with the stresses of being a school teacher, helping to solve cases, keeping the junior detectives out of trouble, dealing with two love-sick suitors and an overbearing mother (Keiko Matsuzaka), Shinobu sensei doesn't have a moment to herself. Sure, she's doing the community a lot of good by helping out, but is she in over her head?   

There's not an overlying story arch in Naniwa Shonen Tanteidan, aside from the sort of love triangle between Shinobu, Shindo and Honma. Meaning there isn't one particular case that gets dragged out over the series' 12 episodes. It's simply a different case every episode, aside from episodes 11 and 12 being a two-part finale. Really, that's okay by me. The characters are what's most important in this series, not the police work, which is incredibly suspect. I've honestly never seen such questionable police work. I mean, what detective lets a school teacher and her students in on a crime scene that they have no business being at? And Shindo divulges completely confidential information to Shinobu as if she's a member of the force. I know this is more of a comedy than a crime-drama, but wow, it just strikes me as odd and a bit too far-fetched...even for a drama. The detectives, as usual for a Japanese drama, are portrayed as incompetent boobs that couldn't do their job if they were paid for it...oh, wait...you know what I mean. However, they can be amusing at times, and I suppose that's what's important here. Tabe Mikako is the real star of the show, even if the show in question is named after the junior detectives. She's playing a character here that I've never seen her portray. Shinobu is strong, smart, independent and takes no shit. She often rips other characters a new one for stupid behavior and for me, it was enjoyable to watch her in this role. She often gives a heartfelt monologue at the end of each episode that really shows her ability as an actress. The junior detectives are all cute kids and amusing enough, but again, it just didn't feel like it was their show, aside from some narration on each episode from Osamu. I actually wouldn't have minded seeing more of them. 

Not every case is that interesting in Naniwa Shonen Tanteidan, but at least most of the characters are. Fans of Tabe Mikako will love her role here and the kids aren't annoying at all, which I find to be a rarity. It's largely light-hearted fun, with some incredibly heavy, out-of-left-field moments sprinkled in the next, however as a whole, it's quite entertaining. (Lee)

Grade: B -

Lie To Me (K-Drama 2011)

Okay, I promise I'm going to stop complaining about the number of episodes in Korean dramas...after this review. Lie To Me (내게 거짓말을 해봐) tells the story of how a small, seemingly innocent, lie can spiral wildly out of control, with inevitable chaos ensuing. Shenanigans, here we come!

Kong Ah-jung (Yoon Eun-hye), is a single woman, living with her widowed father Joon-ho (Kang Shin-il), and working for the Culture and Tourism board. She seems quite content in life, until she starts having one too many unfortunate run-ins with her "friend", Yoo So-ran (Hong Soo-hyun), a spoiled braggart who just so happens to be married to Ah-jung's school crush, Chun Jae-beom (Ryu Seung-soo). It pains Ah-jung's heart to see the two of them together and the love that never was, and it angers her to no end to hear So-ran boasting about her luxurious lifestyle (Jae-beom's a well-off attorney). However, something happens at Ah-jung's workplace which doesn't end well and she's to blame. She feels terrible about this incident and feels it might just be best to submit her resignation. She goes to drink her sorrows away, sloppily writing a resignation letter on a cocktail napkin. A young man by the name of Hyun Sang-hee (Sung-joon), is intrigued by Ah-jung's drunken behavior in the club and decides to strike up a conversation with her. Even through her slurred speech and unsightly demeanor, he's a bit taken with her and decides to keep her company. Meanwhile, Hyun Ki-joon (Kang Ji-hwan), is living on the other side of the spectrum as a wealthy, good-looking, young president of the World hotel group. It turns out that Sang-hee, the young man keeping Ah-jung company at the club, is Ki-joon's younger brother. Sang-hee had just returned to Korea from a stay overseas and Ki-joon hasn't seen him in years. You can imagine, he's a bit eager to see his younger brother again and by circumstances only a drama can create, he spots his younger brother at the club with Ah-jung. Sang-hee leaves before his older brother can get to him, but Ki-joon notices a drunken, passed-out Ah-jung in front of the club and, being the gentleman that he is, makes sure she gets to the hospital. Wanting to know as much about his younger brother as he can, he decides to stay by Ah-jung's side while she recovers at the hospital. It doesn't lead to much, but his actions leave a lasting impression in Ah-jung's mind.

After another chance meeting with So-ran and Jae-beom, (you have to understand, coincidence's are a dime-a-dozen in the world of dramas), at the hair salon, the topic of conversation turns to relationships. Ah-jung, feeling fed up with how she's pitied for still being single, lies and says she's married. So-ran can't believe it and is determined to expose this little white lie. Ah-jung then heads to the World hotel to pay Ki-joon back for his kindness in staying with her overnight at the hospital, but nothing in this world can ever go as smoothly as that, can it? She makes a fool of herself, spilling tomato juice all over the floor, but Ki-joon is there to keep her from slipping and cracking her head open. This all seems fine and dandy, but wouldn't you know it, Ah-jung's group of girlfriends just so happen to be at the hotel to see all this and thus, the rumor of her being married to the young president are off and running!

There's your rundown in a nutshell. Ah-jung's lie about being married turns into a much bigger thing because Ki-joon has a status and professional profile to maintain. His Aunt Hyun Myung-jin (Oh Mi-hee), can't believe her nephew would do such a thing, potentially hindering his role as president and complicating their relationship, and Sang-hee, having developed a small crush on Ah-jung himself, feels his older brother has, yet again, stolen love away from him! To complicate matters even further, let's introduce Oh Yun-joo (Cho Youn-hee), Ki-joon's former love, whom he was engaged to three years prior. Sang-hee was also in love with Yun-joo, and in a true sign of bro's before ho's, Ki-joon let his love go because these brother's stick together and have since their parent's passed. Yun-joo returns to Korea from time spent in Paris and yeah, she wants Ki-joon back. I mean, this guy looks good in a suit. I get it. See how messy things are getting? Well, Ki-joon annoyance with Ah-jung's marriage lie eventually turns into acceptance, only because the lie turns out to be a necessity. You'll have to check the show out if you want to know what I mean by this. Oh, and why can't Sang-hee find a girl his brother isn't involved with?

Being the honest guy that I am, I'll tell you flat-out that I only watched this series because I love Yoon Eun-hye. I told myself that after, "The Coffee Prince", that I would check out anything else she does, so that's what I'm doing here. Get it out of your mind now that this was anywhere near as good as, "Coffee Prince", because it's not. You should never even think to make comparisons. However, Yoon Eun-hye is still very charming in her role as Ah-jung, although, my God is she a total crybaby in this. I counted at least six awkward scenes where you just sit at watch her ball uncontrollably for seconds that feel like minutes. Very long minutes. I rather enjoyed Kang Ji-hwan's performance as the confident, but not cocky, Ki-joon. The way he played it made him quite easy to like. Watching Ah-jung and Ki-joon together is when this drama really shines. However, there are a lot of side characters in Lie To Me that are obnoxious and uninteresting and take away from the main two. I really can't stand So-ran, regardless of how attractive she is and her husband, Ah-jung's first love, Jae-beom, comes across as so bumbling and incompetent, you wonder how he's even a lawyer. Maybe there's a lawyer joke in there somewhere. Anyway, Ah-jung's group of "friends", also come across as possibly the worst, most-gossipy friends, you could ever hope to not have. Seriously, if these are her friends, I'd hate to see her enemies. Yun-joo also annoyed me every single time she had a scene because all she did was mope. We get it, you want Ki-joon back but Cho Youn-hee, haven't not seen her in anything else, pursued her goal of re-obtaining love in the most boring performance possible. Her face expressionless and her delivery emotionless. Basically, a difficult character to watch. Sang-hee is slightly interesting at first, when he's getting to know Ah-jung, but then he gets written off towards the second half of the series as a jealous, cry-baby who does nothing but sulk and paint all day. It's almost as if the writers ran out of ideas for him once the ball got rolling with Ki-joon and Ah-jung. I just thought there would be more to him. Oh well. I would like to point out that Hwang Suk-bong (Kwon Hae-hyo), turns in another amusing performance as the restaurant owner. I always get a kick out of him.

Lie To Me is mediocre drama that I suppose you want to be better than it is because of the two stars, but the pacing is off and the supporting cast is obnoxious. The side-stories, anything deviating from Ah-jung and Ki-joon, are simply annoying and uninteresting. The soundtrack is mind-numbing (especially that ice cream song - enjoy below!), and really, just how big is Seoul? These same characters bump into each other at every turn. I'm nitpicking on that last point, but I guess it's my semi-clever way of saying: let's try harder next time guys. (Lee)

Grade: D+

You Are My Pet (Korea 2011)

You are a piece of...okay, you get the idea. You also probably get my feelings about this movie. You Are My Pet (너는 펫), is a gimmicky, romantic-comedy that somehow manages to forget to add any romance or comedy. Oh, but they beat that gimmick into the ground and back again.

Fashion magazine editor, Eun Yi (Kim Ha-neul), is incredibly hard-working, to the point of having little, to no, free time. She doesn't have a boyfriend, she's not married, and in fact, her younger brother, Eun-soo (Choi Jong-hoon), is the only man she has in her life; and he lives with her. Basically, she's just been unlucky in love. Her brother, working as a bartender, decides to let a friend of his, In-ho (Jang Keun-suk), crash at his sister's place, unbeknownst to her. In-ho doesn't have a place to stay and Eun-soo looks at it as an opportunity to earn some cash off a friend. Eun-yi comes home to find a complete stranger making himself comfortable in her place and after some begging and pleading from Eun-soo, she decides to let In-ho stay...albeit with some stipulations. For whatever reason, In-ho reminds Eun-yi of her dog Momo, which has passed away. With this in mind, she agrees to let In-ho stay at her place as long as he's willing to be her new Momo; her pet. In-ho decides to go along with it, keeping things light and jovial, and the longer he stays at her place, the more they actually get to know each other. Turns out In-ho used to be a talented and renowned dancer, but has since given up the art due to an incident years back where he dropped a fellow dancer, injuring her. Guilt, being what it is, keeps him from performing. Eun-yi really starts warming up to In-ho, as he does to her, all the while keeping up the creepy, "master/pet", relationship, and things start looking like they could grow into more than just friendship...until Eun-yi's first love, Cha Woo-sung (Ryu Tae-joon), comes back into her life.

Hmm, what must you be thinking after reading that synopsis? If the word, "ridiculous", popped into your mind, I certainly wouldn't blame you, because let's face it; that's exactly what this movie is. Not in the, "oh, that's silly, but it's also so cute and charming so I can overlook it all", kind of way. More of a, "really? come on...really?", kind of way. You Are My Pet forces the "pet" angle down your throat at every available opportunity. It get's to the point of just being awkward and beyond fathomable. In-ho acts like a dog, so much so, that he's hopping in her bed like a pet, resting his head in her lap, calling Eun-yi master, and just about everything else aside from pissing on the floor. For me, it was just silly, in a stupid way. Not funny in the comedic sense that was probably intended by the filmmakers. I felt practically zero chemistry between Kim Ha-neul and Jang Keun-suk, which really kills the romantic side of the film, and I know it's been said before, but Jang Keun-suk couldn't look more like a woman unless he had breasts. Seeing these two on screen together, it often looked like two women in a relationship...not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm sure all of his female fans will love his performance here though. Seriously though, I don't get the appeal but I don't think I'm supposed to. However, Kim Ha-neul looked as amazing as ever, even if her performance in this movie felt dialed in and quite uninspired. That pains me to say, as I'm a huge fan of hers. So if I'm looking for anything nice to say about You Are My Pet, I guess it would be that it looked good. The film itself looks sharp, as does all the players involved.That's it...that's all I've got.

The gimmick goes too far and for way too long in You Are My Pet, making the 1 hour and 50 minute run-time extra painful. By the time it all winds down, you'll never want to hear the word, "Momo", again. Definitely not worth your time unless you're a big fan of the two stars. (Lee)

Grade: D

Jiu (J-Drama 2011)

I keep getting myself into trouble by watching dramas for no other reason than a actor or actress that I like is starring in it. Now to most, this doesn't sound like an abnormal thing right? However, it's this kind of blind bias that has me suffering for hours. This time, Mikako Tabe did me wrong. Jiu (ジウ) wasn't all that bad, but it simply mismanages what could have been fairly decent material in the right hands.

Motoko (Meisa Kuroki), and Misaki (Mikako Tabe), are both agents working for S.I.T. (Special Investigation Team) in Tokyo. Motoko is your hard-as-nails, super-cop with an ice-cold personality to match. Misaki, on the other hand, is a soft-spoken, more level-headed agent that seems more comfortable behind a desk than out in the field. A situation arises where both women get involved; Misaki acting as a negotiator and Motoko armed and ready to take the bad guy down. Things don't exactly go as planned and Misaki is taken by the bad guy. Motoko, going hard as usual, shoots the bad guy in order to free Misaki, thus creating a public affairs nightmare for the Tokyo police force. Pictures of Misaki being held captive hit the front page news and word of Motoko's, shoot-first, ask-questions-later policy has everyone in an uproar. The fallout ends up with Misaki being sent to join detective Hiroki's (Kitamura Yukiya), team in a different department, but Motoko's actions actually end up getting her promoted to a very exclusive position; as an S.A.T. (Special Assault Team) member. The S.A.T. are a group of well-trained men that are called in whenever situations go from bad to worse. Motoko finds herself being the first woman ever to be enlisted into this boy's club and they aren't exactly the most welcoming bunch. She does find a bit of friend in Yuu (Amamiya Takashi), a man who definitely isn't all he appears to be. Meanwhile, Misaki is finding her new placement somewhat satisfying, as Hiroki informs her that they're on the hunt for a man only known as Jiu, (L). Jiu is a mysterious Chinese man with blonde hair, dressed in white, and he's responsible for various crimes; kidnapping, murder, you name it. Misaki really starts to get involved in the case, all the while developing a crush on Hiroki. On the other side of the coin, Motoko is also getting close and comfy with Yuu. Eventually, the members of S.A.T. are needed to assist the detectives in the hunt for Jiu, but as more information comes to light, it seems he may not be the mastermind of all this criminal activity after all. Who is this mysterious Jiu character? Why is he committing all these crimes? And why is his hair blonde!?

Jiu is a nine-episode series that's based off the written work of novelist Tetsuya Honda. Obviously, I haven't read this story, so I can't say for sure how faithful the drama is to the novel, but I doubt Mr. Honda had Lady Gaga's, "Edge of Glory", in mind as the main musical piece to accompany his work come to life. No kidding, this song plays at the end of every episode. In true Japanese drama fashion, there's usual a popular song placed into a drama and it plays in every episode during the last five minutes or so. "Edge of Glory", could not feel more out of place than it does here, but let's not get hung up on the song choice. Jiu could've been much, "harder", than it was. By that, I mean gritty and in-my-face. I mean, it really acts like it wants to. The material certainly lends itself to a world where bad things happen and consequences are a fact of life, but here, which is all too often the case in dramas, things are played a little too safe. I like the story; a mysterious man starts wreaking havoc in the world of these detectives; they're all suddenly left grasping at straws but the one, or two, cops that know what's going on are the one's nobody believes in. A tried-and-true underdog story of sorts. Speaking of everyone involved, it really feels like they're all playing character types instead of doing real acting here. Is it intentional? I have no idea, but Jiu, as a character, for example, feels more like he's ripped out of the pages of a manga, as opposed to feeling like a plausible villain. Motoko is cold and callous to a fault, where I wound up just finding her an impossible-to-deal-with annoyance. Misaki, on the other hand, doesn't fare much better because she's so fluffy and cute that you tend to scratch your head in bewilderment as to why she's taken seriously as a detective. Maybe just a poor casting choice? I still love you Mikako san, and yes, your character does show some progression. In terms of action, there are moments of, "damn, where did that come from!?", hardness toward the end of the series, especially in regards to Yuu, but that's also the problem. These edgy moments feel out of the norm for the series and instead of thinking it's cool, you're mostly left feeling like it was out-of-place.

Jiu is a drama that want's to act tough but ends up being lightweight. The acting is passable, but again, the parties involved are playing character types to the point of eye-rolling annoyance. Many of the plot's pieces fit together a little too conveniently and as a whole, nothing comes across as authentic. These people are far too, "pretty", to be doing what they're doing. This is strictly for fans of the cast and those who love suspending disbelief and I mean, love it. (Lee)

Grade: C

The Raid: Redemption (Indonesia 2011)

It's been a sleepy cinema landscape when it comes to hard-hitting, martial-arts action, especially now that Hong Kong films are sitting firmly in China's pocket and are trickling out at a snail's pace. However, and I'm admittedly a bit late to this party, The Raid: Redemption (Serbuan Maut), has assured me that not all hope is lost for this genre. Filmmakers take note; this is how you do it.

Rama (Iko Uwais), is a rookie police officer who is gearing up for what, unbeknownst to him, will be his most brutal day on the job. He says goodbye to his wife and unborn child, joining the rest of his team in the back of a SWAT van. The crew is geared up to take on an evil, no-good villianous type that goes by the name of Tama (Ray Sahetapy). Tama is basically a slumlord on a grandiose scale. He runs an apartment block, housing junkies, criminals and other unsavory types, but Rama and his fellow officers are showing up to put a stop to Tama and his evil deeds once and for all. At the helm of the team is Sergeant Jaka (Joe Taslim), a man that clearly has it together, complete with a zero nonsense policy, and Lieutenant Wahyu (Pierre Gruno), an old-school veteran on the force. We find early on that this is a very capable team and are certainly able to handle business, but Tama isn't alone in this ghetto. He's got a large army of tenants that aren't looking to be evicted, as well as two intimidating sidekicks, Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian), and Andi (Donny Alamsyah). Clearly, this isn't the first time Tama has had the police try and shut down his operation. Our team gets the drop on the bad guys early on and stealthily make progress in the apartment complex. However, their advantage is short-lived when they're discovered by spotters that notify the big boss about their arrival. It seems like a never-ending stream of thugs charging at Rama and the others. The body count starts piling up on both sides and soon our team is left fragmented. When Sergeant Jaka starts questioning Lieutenant Wahyu about their mission, it's purpose and their lack of backup, things suddenly become more sinister. Do our boy's have what it takes to shut down this crime boss and the countless men opposing them?

Ah the action, martial-arts genre. Never known for it's ambitious story-telling or Oscar winning dialogue, but it doesn't require either of those things. The Raid: Redemption, like many films of it's ilk, has the simplest of stories, but it's just enough, and plausible enough, to get you to what you want to see without rolling your eyes; the action. There are a few twists and turns in the storyline, that I've kept out in true spoiler-free style, and they helped in giving the story a more thought-out feel. While not groundbreaking, it's clear that writer/director Gareth Evans, put some thought into it. When we learn more about Tama's sidekick Andi, things get a lot more interesting. Let's not kid ourselves here though, the action is what we want and by golly is it ever present here! The best part is that it's not just martial-arts action, there's a considerable amount of gun and knife-play going on and it's great. When the ammo starts to run short and our hero is left to just his fists and feet, he delivers some on-screen ass-whipping, the likes I haven't seen in years. Gareth Evans clearly appreciates the martial-arts, Pencak Silat; the style we see going on in The Raid, and it's filmed so that the viewer can really see and appreciate what's taking place. The shots are wide when two (or more) people are fighting and there's no bullshit cut-away shots that can sometimes take you out of the moment. Everything just looks good. It's so clear that a painstaking amount of choreography went into the fight scenes and I often found my jaw dropped at what I was seeing. There's also no fear in showing the viewer everything. Knives are slashing and stabbing into countless foes, guns are going off at point blank range and again, no cut-away. I admire that style in a film like this because hey, if you're going to be raw, gritty, edgy and in-my-face, then dammit, you better be. That being said, I suppose the proceedings are not for the squeamish. I can't say enough about Iko Uwais's skills. I honestly haven't seen anything that exciting in a very long time. He just makes everything look so flawless. I can't wait for the follow-up, Thugs (Berandal), in 2013. Same writer/director/actor, and I'm sure, same pant-shitting action.

A few people called me out on Twitter for mistaking The Raid: Redemption, as a Thai film after I posted a tweet proclaiming my excitement over this, "incredible Thai martial-arts movie". I was thankful for the correction, because I had no idea that Indonesia was putting out films like this; they weren't even a blip on my radar. Now, Indonesia is on the map (so to speak), and they can thank The Raid for that. (Lee)

Grade: A

Mitsu no Aji (J-Drama 2011)

I hate myself. That has to be the only reason I sat through all 11 episodes of Mitsu no Aji (蜜の味). Okay, not the only reason, as I'm a big fan of Kanno Miho, but my God...sometimes being a fan can lead you down a dark road. Set your sails for incest (yes, you read that right)!

Naoko (Eikura Nana), is a young woman living in the rural town of Ushimado, eagerly awaiting her entrance exam results to Towa medical university. Her uncle, Masato (ARATA), a surgeon at the university, rushes to find out the results and ends up giving her the good news; she's in! Naoko is incredibly excited by the news, not only because she's been admitted to one of the top medical universities in Tokyo, but because she'll soon be by her beloved uncle's side; something she's been pining for. See, the two of them shared a moment in the rain back in Ushimado; a moment where their relationship changed, at least from Naoko's perspective. She stopped looking at him as just an uncle, but as a man that she's in love with. I know, weird right? Thank the heavens I'm not the only one that thinks this is weird, as Naoko knows that she can't tell anyone, especially Masato, about the way she really feels about her uncle. So she goes to Tokyo and begins her schooling, happy to be closer to Masato and seemingly content to adore him in secret. However, her dream to be by his side is soon disrupted as she's introduced to Aya (Kanno Miho), the woman (and fellow doctor at Towa university), that Masato has been dating for years. Naoko is crushed to know that Masato has a serious relationship and her uneasiness about it begins to show itself through her behavior. She becomes more distant with Masato and has an attitude whenever dealing with Aya. Naoko tries to seek comfort and distraction amongst her friends at the university; Norisugi (Mizobata Junpei), and Rai (Kimura Fumino), to name a few. Naoko's change in behavior does not go unnoticed by the ever-cunning Aya, with Aya soon taking steps of her own to ensure that Masato is her's and her's only. She pushes Masato towards marriage, even though she had rejected his proposal weeks earlier, and put's it on the fast track. Aya even invites Naoko and her friends to her home for dinner, all of this in an attempt to send Naoko a message that she better back off. Eventually, Masato begins to take notice of Aya's spiteful behavior towards his niece and the amount of time she focuses on work research, as opposed to him and their marriage, and he's had enough. He wants to call it quits with Aya and realizes that the only way for him to find some comfort in his life is to leave the country when an opportunity to study in Pittsburgh comes about. The news is sudden and heart-breaking for Naoko, but it's a necessary move for Masato and he leaves her with a memorable goodbye.

Aya refuses to file the divorce papers, thinking that Masato will be a different man when he comes back from studying abroad; even though he's given no indication as to when that will be. It's now 8 years later and Naoko is a doctor at Towa and in a relationship with her former classmate Norisugi. Her best friend Rai is dating another doctor, Yuji (Yamazaki Shigenori), who just so happens to be married. (This is a side-story that annoys more than anything else). Ah, good ol' fashioned adultery! Mind you, she's completely alright with this, but continues nudging him to divorce his wife. Everyone seems to have moved on from the mess of 8 years prior, but Masato has made his triumphant return to Japan in order to operate on head professor at Towa, Professor Takinohara (Masu Takeshi). Masato is a well-trained pro at this point and Takinohara needs him to keep the operation a secret because he's up for the position of medical director and he can't be perceived as weak or he'll never get the votes. Takinohara teams Masato up with Naoko and uncle and niece are once again together after all these years. All of those past feelings begin rushing through Naoko's head, even though she now shares a home with Norisugi and he wants to get married. Needless to say, things are getting complicated again. Masato still has no plans to get back together with Aya but they make a tentative plan to get along as professionals. No one knows about Takinohara's operation but Masato and Naoko, but that just lends itself to a perfect opportunity for Aya when it appears that things are looking a bit too familiar; 8 years ago familiar to be exact. Even if Masato wants nothing to do with her, there's no way Aya plans to let Naoko get so close to him again. Can everyone coexist without letting the past interfere after all this time? Will Masato and Naoko throw everything away to finally answer their true feelings for one another? And will Aya just relax and ease up from all the nasty back-stabbing and sneaky maneuvering?  

Mitsu no Aji is a Japanese drama that definitely has no shortage of drama. Before you get too excited after reading that, realize that it's not necessarily a good thing. This drama was so over-the-top in it's presentation, acting-wise, music-wise (oh that dramatic music whenever something "bad" was gonna happen, sigh), and even direction (flashbacks and effect-shots ahoy!) that I spent most of the time either laughing at what was happening or just angry. Angry at what was going on in the show but angry at myself mostly for sticking with this mess. The characters in this drama are incredibly unlikable and it's a fairly big cast to be annoyed with. I do mean all of the characters when I say this. I really had a hard time with Eikura Nana as Naoko; finding her extremely annoying, immature, and to be frank, just easy to dislike. That being said, anytime Aya had something nasty planned for her, or any of the other characters for that matter, I thought, "get on with it. these are the only interesting parts". Is it wrong that I only perked up in times when Aya's character had something nasty planned for the others? So be it. While we're on the topic of annoying character's, Rai, Naoko's best friend, was near unbearable for me. I think there were a few moments where I'd literally talk to my screen, wanting her to shut up. She's there to lend an ear to Naoko, but she spends the series sleeping with a married man, so she's better off keeping her mouth shut. Norisugi was actually a decent character until the end of the series when the powers that be suddenly decide to change his character completely. His behavioral change, while not unwarranted, seems to come out of nowhere. Last, but certainly not least, let us not forget that this story centers around a niece falling in love with her uncle. I'm talking blood relation here. To say it's taboo to engage in such a relationship would be putting it lightly, but hey, who am I to pass judgement. That being said, I just had an incredibly hard time rooting for incest to happen, thus making our protagonists unappealing. Hey, maybe you're cool with that and want to see what happens with such a story line, but trust me, Mitsu no Aji is a hard series to sit through and not just because of the subject matter.

I'm not going to soften my words here; I hated this drama. I didn't like any of the characters. The storyline, while at first intriguing, became uninteresting by the way it plays out, and the overall presentation made me laugh in an, "oh this is embarrassing", sort of way. Mitsu no Aji, or "A Taste of Honey", left me with a taste in my mouth, but it sure wasn't something as sweet as honey. (Lee)

Grade: F
 
Official "Mitsu no Aji" site (Japanese)

My Black Mini Dress (Korea 2011)

Seemingly obnoxious and shallow from the outside looking in, things aren't what they appear to be as My Black Mini Dress (마이 블랙 미니드레스), actually has a meaningful story to tell. Trust me, I'm probably as surprised to say that as you are to read it. 

Four close friends, Yoo-min (Yoon Eun-hye), Hye-ji (Park Han-byeol), Soo-jin (Cha Ye-ryeon), and Min-hee (Yoo In-na), have just graduated college and are ready to celebrate a new chapter in their lives. It's time to grow up, leave behind the partying lifestyle and find real jobs right? Well, maybe not for everyone and reluctantly so for others. These girls are used to living a very free lifestyle; going to the club every other night, partying and just having a good time. Time has passed since graduation and our girls are now 24 year old women. Yoo-min is trying her hand at being a broadcasting writer; Soo-jin is tutoring teenage students while secretly attending auditions because her dream is be an actress; Hye-ji is wealthy so she's content just partying and Min-hee, also from a family of wealth, chooses to take an English course, complete with her own puppy-love storyline, so that she can study abroad. It would appear that Hye-ji and Min-hee are the only ones content with their lives, while Yoo-min and Soo-jin are struggling to keep up an optimistic front when they're all together. Hye-ji introduces Yoo-min to the young and wealthy Seok-won (Lee Yong-woo), because she worries that her friend is struggling in love. At the club, just by chance, a guy spots Hye-ji and offers her the opportunity to star in a Levi's jeans commercial, an opportunity that will change the direction of her life. The other girls find out about it while buying tickets for a movie as it plays on a giant monitor overhead in the lobby. Naturally, they're all shocked to see their best friend starring on TV with a new-found entertainment career that seemed to come out of nowhere. However, not everyone is as happy as they appear to be, or possibly should be, and it's not long before the green-eyed monster starts to show itself. Soo-jin, and her secret struggle to become an actress, isn't shy about expressing her feelings of irritation about how Hye-ji, the girl with everything, is yet again given more. Meanwhile, Yoo-min is trying to have a relationship of sorts with Seok-won, and is dealing with an unbelievable boss (Jeon Soo-keyong), who constantly makes unrealistic demands. She does begin to find some comfort when an old schoolmate, Young-mi (Choi Yoon-young), comes into her life with friendly advice, as she too is working in the same field. When an incident involving Hye-ji brings the girls together again, Soo-jin and Hye-ji get in a huge argument in which their true feelings come to light. This is the tipping point that sends all four girls in different directions, forcing them to evaluate the friendship they've had all these years and if they all know each other as well as they had thought. Will Soo-jin and Hye-ji be able to let bygones be bygones in order to be friends again? And can Yoo-min figure out what love is while at the same time trying to find her place in a professional world where she struggles to fit in? 

I wasn't in a hurry to see My Little Black Dress because quite frankly I thought it was going to be a chick-flick, and in many ways it is. However, my crush on Yoon Eun-hye wouldn't allow me to avoid it and I'm glad I didn't. Things start off a little bumpy as our four main characters aren't introduced in a flattering light, and it takes a while to warm up to them and take notice of their individuality. Yoo-min is your straight-shooter, Hye-ji is the spoiled, live-life-with-no-consequences type, with Soo-jin being the serious one and Min-hee being your slightly air-headed comic relief. Yes, I realize these characters are all representing different character-types, but they do it well. Yoon Eun-hye, regardless of my feelings about her, really does a nice job at showing the difficulties in transitioning into adulthood and the responsibilities young people face. Hye-ji was a tough character to warm up to for me, but she's meant to be that way because she's spoiled and comes from a background that most of us can't relate to. I personally enjoyed Cha Re-yeon's performance and her character's actions because even though, as a viewer, you know she's just jealous of Hye-ji, it comes across as believable and you can even understand it. Many of us have been in similar positions. As for Min-hee, well...she's just cute and her moments were amusing. There's a story told here about friendship and trying to define just what exactly a friend is. The girls begin to realize they they may not know each other at all when their own lives start falling apart and they look for a shoulder to lean on. I found the story-telling to be a smart, true-to-life tale serving as food-for-thought in many ways, regardless of the movie being geared toward a female audience. I know I've had times where I felt I couldn't tell even my closest friend things and wondered why that was. There's a dark twist in the third act, a plot device that tends to anger me in most films, but here it seems to work. I will also say the ending had a bad case of, "this isn't over yet?", syndrome, in which you thought the scene you were watching was the last, only for there to be another scene and yet another. Silly filmmakers, you got me!

A story that rings true and strong performances that sell the story all the more are what help to put My Little Black Dress into recommended viewing territory. I love when a movie can make you feel introspective and that's how this one left me. Plus, that Yoon Eun-hye is just too darn cute. (Lee)

Grade: B

Solanin (Japan 2010)

Not exactly what I'd call a feel-good movie, Solanin ( ソラニン), does however do a great job at making you think about your life and the direction you're taking it. Oscar Wilde once said, "life is too short to be taken so seriously", and we're reminded with this film that he just might be right.

Meiko (Aoi Miyazaki), and her boyfriend Taneda (Kengo Kora), live together in her apartment and their relationship seems to be in a really great spot. As a recent college graduate, Meiko is stuck in an office job that she doesn't like and her boyfriend is only working part-time as an animator. Also unhappy with his job, he enjoys playing music with his band Solanin, even if they mostly just get together to jam. Even though neither of them are really happy with their work situations, they're happy to have and support each other. However, when Meiko expresses her desire to quit her job and live off of her savings until she finds what she wants to do, their relationship is tested. Tanedo starts to feel a lot of stress about everything and it begins to take it's toll on them both. Meiko is also feeling stressed because she doesn't have the nerve to tell her mother that she quit her job. Taneda's bandmates, Billy (Kenta Kiritani), and Kenichi (Yoichi Kondo), are all in situations where they have to finally grow up, face reality, and get "real" jobs. Even though their relationship is in a slump, Meiko encourages Taneda to start taking his band seriously because they're good enough to make it and she knows he's unhappy at work. He agrees to it and him and his bandmates are soon on their way to putting out their first demo. They ship the CD around to different labels and just when they think they've snagged some interest, it turns out that the company simply wants the band to write original material for an idol singer they represent. Feeling discouraged and defeated, Taneda tells Meiko that he's stepping out for a bit and ends up disappearing for days with no correspondence to anyone, which of course leaves Meiko worried sick. It seems he simply wanted to figure things out in his head and needed to get away. Sure, it's a selfish way to do it, but sometimes you do what you have to do. He calls Meiko to inform her that he's sorted some stuff out and he's ready to come home, but little could she know, that phone call and the events that followed would change her life forever. Can Meiko find a path that truly makes her happy? And will Solanin ever get their big break?

In true spoiler-free fashion, I chose to end the proceeding paragraph where I did for a reason. The events surrounding that fateful phone call with Taneda change the direction of Solanin's story, as well as the emotional tone. That being said, the story of Solanin is a great one and one that's based off a manga of the same name by Inio Asano. It's a look at the lives of young people, the feeling of misdirection and confusion that many of us, no matter where we're from, feel and can relate to. It's a story of desire and dreams; wanting and wishing for more than you have and knowing that even though life can be a real pain sometimes, we can't let ourselves get pinned down by the negativity. Aoi Miyazaki and Kengo Kora are great at portraying a young couple in love, who are weighed down by the realities of life, yet deep down they strive for more out of it. I think we've all been there and some of us still are. As a viewer, we're really reminded of the importance of living life and seizing the day while we still can. The film has a nice, independent look to it, as opposed to a Hollywood-type gloss, which suits the overall feel and tone of the story. Some might say Solanin is a rock-themed film, but I'll just say the music in it is awesome, with Asian Kung-Fu Generation contributing the superb title-track. I have to say that the movie starts to feel long at times, at a little over two hours in length, but the third act tries to make up for it with an emotional display of friendship that I feel most viewers will find touching and satisfying.

It's longer than it needs to be and a bit heavy-handed at times, but Solanin still gets it's point across with a thought-provoking story and fine performances. You might want to bring the box of tissues with you on this one. (Lee)

Grade: B

Howling (Korea 2011)

Is it action, drama, suspense, or supernatural thriller? Howling (하울링) certainly feels like all of the aforementioned at times, which leads me to my point; this is a mixed bag on so many levels. You can't win 'em all Song Kang-ho.

Detective Sung-gil (Song Kang-ho), has been around the force for quite some time. There's not a lot he hasn't seen or dealt with and quite frankly he's ready to move up in the world and is looking for his big promotion to captain. However, his movement to the top appears to get sidelined when his boss sticks him with Eun-young (Lee Na-young), a driven female rookie detective who simply wants to do the job right. They're assigned to a case in which a man catches fire spontaneously while sitting in his truck in a parking garage. They find out that the fire stemmed from his belt-buckle, which was fitted with a timer and a chemical to ignite at a specific time. Pretty elaborate stuff. The coroner, upon examining the body, informs the detectives that he found deep bite marks, from what appears to be a dog, on the man's leg. We find out the victim was into gambling and drug-use which leads Sung-gil and Eun-young into following the drug trail. The drugs lead them to a low-life's home in which they discover a secret area where young girls are being pimped out. What had appeared at first to be a case of accidental death has lead these two to much darker places. Meanwhile, someone is attacked on the street by the dog and the police now know that the first victims bite marks are more than coincidental. Things seem to be moving forward in the investigation but Sung-gil decides to keep his and Eun-young's findings to himself and not report it to the Captain or the other officers, much to Eun-young's dismay. Sung-gil feels that if he can solve this case without assistance, then he'll surely be promoted. As you can imagine, this selfish style of police-work backfires on him and both Sung-gil and Eun-young are reprimanded, with their credibility taking a hit in the process. As if things weren't bad enough with her coworkers, Eun-young has to deal with being the only female in the group and these guy's stop at nothing in making her life as uncomfortable and inconvenient as possible. Sung-gil eventually starts warming up to his partner but does his best not to show it. We learn that Sung-gil isn't such a bad guy when we get a look at his family life. He doesn't exactly have it easy himself. So with this second victim, dead from an attack by what forensics are now saying could be a wolf, the team are trying to figure out where to find this animal and where it could possibly strike next. A connection begins to develop between the victims, as they all appear to have ties to child prostitution and drugs. The wolf is taking them out one by one! Sung-gil and Eun-young begin to question private dog trainers, as well as officers that work with dogs in order to find a suspect but their search comes back empty. Eun-young get's a bright idea in her search and comes back with the name Kang (Jo Young-jin); a name that changes their investigation completely. Who's using this wolf-dog as a murder weapon and why? What is their connection? Can Sung-pil and Eun-young find this animal before it kills again?  

A dog as a murder weapon. I personally can't say I've seen that before in a movie, but now that I have, I can say that there's probably a reason for that. It's all a bit silly. Howling gives us this fairly unique concept and delivers it in a muddled, overly melodramatic way. I have problems with the execution of how the story unfolds here because there are times where I wondered if the dog was some sort of supernatural being. That's how amazing this animal is or is at least presented. It seemingly comes out of nowhere and it seems to be able to do things even Lassie would be envious of (I'm thinking mostly of the movie's ending for that reference). To me, it all just rang a bit too fantastical and I never really felt a connection with the dog, as other characters in the movie clearly did. Now I love Song Kang-ho, he's my favorite Korean actor, and he's as sharp as ever here, even if his character isn't exactly the most likeable. Therein lies another problem for me with this film; I had a hard time liking any of the characters, aside from Eun-young. Lee Na-young does a great job at conveying the struggle her character goes through in being the sole female on the force, the adversity tied in with that and in general, just being a sympathetic character to root for. However, the police force, Sung-gil and Eun-young's coworkers if you will, are completely deplorable, detestable characters. I didn't care about any of them, one bit, other than to see them humiliated. In true Korean cinema fashion, these guys are made to look buffoonish, irresponsible and incapable, as well as immature and over-the-top sexist. The way they treat Eun-young was quite shocking for me, making me hate them and I found them to be almost villains for Eun-young's character. Yeah, that bad. As much as I liked Eun-young's character, I found some glaring inconsistencies with her behavior. Look no further than the scene where she goes to investigate Kang's home. This is a by-the-book, straight-shooter detective that breaks all of her own rules just by being at that house. It bothered me. The story-telling is quite intriguing in the first half of the movie, especially as you unravel clues with the detectives, but for me, the end result and the big reveal just didn't do anything for me. I felt it just lost that spark of intrigue from the first half and didn't have any impact.

Howling was a disappointment for me because it felt like a movie that didn't know what it wanted to be. The crimes within are horrible and incredibly dark, yet there are moments where the proceedings just seemed laughable. Check it out if you're a fan of the main stars (as I am), but it was a little too campy for my taste. (Lee)

Grade: C