A great little drama literally murdered by horrible subs by MangoTV.

This is Mr. & Mrs. Smith wuxia style. They adore each other, bless their little hearts, but he's the palace's secret agent and she's a gun for hire - so to speak. And they don't know that about each other.

Goodness gracious, the shenanigans! Not only is the writing truly hilarious, the actors play their parts perfectly which adds to the overall funny - and yet loving - tone of this web drama.

It's too bad that Mango butchered the subs so badly. Because of it, the overall plot with the palace intrigue and whatnot is literally lost in translation. I kinda doubt that the visiting... official or whatever was really a "proton" ?

Also, the ending song is truly lovely.

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This felt... way too cutesy, I must say. Don't get me wrong, I love me sweet fluff from time to time but this felt too forcefully cheerful and cute. IMO, they tried way too hard and the end result just didn't feel really natural.

Which is too bad because the boys' back stories could've made for a really interesting drama otherwise. The found family trope was strong with this one and it's too bad that the writers didn't let that speak for itself. And when I say family, I'm not talking just about the four boys at the inn but also Yakyo and his pâtissier, Eisuke. Or the other restaurant owner, his little daughter and his clumsy help.

In the end, I found Tokitaka's backstory the most intriguing - and his relationship with Sui the most interesting, that everyone called them "mom" and "dad", respectively. But also Eisuke, whom I couldn't stand at first, turned out so fascinating! Especially his relationship with Yakyo.

Still, because of its overt sugary sweetness, it felt a bit boring. Too bad...

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Holy smokes! Wow. This must be one of the whumpiest dramas I've ever seen. And definitely the whumpiest Jdrama. Like, holy smokes!

The sword fights here were absolutely amazing and Saotome Taichi swinging a sword and kicking butts was smoking hot, like wow.

As I've mentioned, since Kakeru is the sword swinging hero here, he's the object of so much whump like you wouldn't believe. And because the drama is all about found family - Kakeru, Sho and Karen grew up together, the sword master, his partner destined to kill him one day and the scabbard maker, respectively - they all adore Kakeru so the whump is really, really satisfying, the way they worry for him and do all they can to protect him and keep him alive, even risking their lives and going against centuries old traditions and powerful supernatural stuff. And it's what saves Kakeru's life in the end, their love for each other. It's so beautiful!

If you like action driven dramas with the found family trope in abundance, then you will love this one. I'm all a-giddy about it!

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Oh, this movie was wonderful. Truly wonderful. Sweet and touching and heartbreaking and just... so lovely. And Yokohama Ryusei as Rui simply shined here.

Rui's story was so sad. He made mistakes, terrible mistakes, and he paid for them harshly and just as he was about to start a new life, it all went to hell again, courtesy of Machida Keita's big bad, Kyosuke. Ouch.

The love story between Rui and Akari was so beautiful. Two people down on their luck finding each other and making do and becoming happy, it made my heart swell three sizes. Akari was simply amazing and her love for Rui - and his for her - was just... wow.

There weren't many people who truly loved Rui, besides Akari there were only two who wanted the best for him and who did not want to use him - the nun at the orphanage and his coach at the gym - and I loved both of them. The last time Rui and the coach saw each other broke my heart...

This movie pushed all my buttons, like all of them. It was so good!

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Or, This Flower Will Bloom, a one hour special that stars Inukai Atsuhiro in a supporting part. He was the reason why I watched it which is why I'm mentioning it.

It's a story about a real estate agent, Chika, in the town of Kagoshima which lies in the shadow of an active volcano, Mount Sakurajima. Her childhood friend, Yohei (Inukai Atsuhiro), asked her to marry him but she's always been hesitant about that because of how her father died when she was a child. And ever since Yohei joined the local Disaster Relief Unit, her reluctance grew tenfold because she's so terrified of losing him. And then, one day, a man comes into her office and asks her to find him a flat - a place where he won't be able to see Mount Sakurajima...

This is a very atmospheric movie, all orange tinted and almost... well, hazy, interspersed with authentic footage of times when the volcano went off in the past, one hundred years ago and then forty years ago, and accompanied by jazz music, sometimes soft, sometimes jarring. You can see what it's like living in this town where you have to follow the news about wind direction and ash fall, where you regularly have to sweep away bags and bags full of volcanic ash...

There are no big upheavals, now histrionics or drama in this special, it's just so... soft and calming, a slice of life story. And it was exactly what I needed today.

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Not even 30 min. long but so good because it heavily focused on Kairi (Lupin Red) and Keiichiro (Patren #1), kidnapped and brought over to the Gangler world. Every story that focuses on those two is simply marvelous.

And this one was no exception. It started with them bickering while they tried to fight the Gangler's henchmen only to realize that they would have to cooperate if they wanted to survive. And then the big explosion and the fall off the cliff and... Keiichiro waking up, realizing that he was hanging suspended in the air, held by the hand by Lupin Red whose blood was dripping down on Keiichiro's face. That was quite... something.

And the big fight between Lupin Red and Keiichiro on the one side and Gauche and Destra on the other! That was so well done! The action, the CGI!

Really, every scene, every story that focuses on Kairi and Keiichiro is gold because their chemistry is amazing. You can see that Ito Asahi and Kousei Yuki truly clicked and became great friends while filming this series.

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This was a strange little movie. A 19-year-old art student falls in love with a man twice his age. And the man, an art photographer, falls for him, too. But then the man is transferred to another city. What now? And... that's the movie.

What was interesting to me? That the student's, Yoichi's, loved ones didn't care about the fact that he fell for a man or that the man could be his father, they were simply glad that Yoichi finally felt something for anyone. Yoichi was namely very, very closed off because of what happened to his family years back so seeing him finally come out of his shell? That was enough for those who took care of him to be grateful so they all supported his feelings. That was a nice change from the usual hateful reaction of various family members in other dramas.

Also! This movie features Shiono Akihisa AKA Toujo from Zettai BL! He plays another gay character here because his Fujimoto also falls for Yoichi.

Overall, not a bad movie. Very quiet and atmospheric sice it mostly takes places in or around Yoichi's house with cicadas chirping in the background...

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This drama was awesome. Sure, it was silly - it is a show for kids, after all - but the story it told, its characters and the relationships between them, that was all so fascinating!

What I loved best about the whole thing was that they were pirates! Not high school kids, not university students but space pirates! And they were adults and they all went through terrible, horrible traumas in the past and they had absolutely no one but each other. That turned the found family trope up to eleven! All they had were each other and the galeon and Tori the mechanical not-bird. They lived together and they ate together, they planet-hopped together and they went on space adventures together... and they fought the Evil Empire(TM) together.

Out of the whole crew, I loved Captain Marvelous and Joe Gibken and their unbreakable bond best, of course. The way they always gravitated towards each other, the way they trusted each other, the way they kept each other safe... That was a thing of beauty!

I loved this drama. I honestly did. From the story it told, over the catchy, catchy tunes - Let's Go! Let's Gokaiger! - to the actors. It made me very, very happy. And very, very mushy when it ended.

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This was a good one! I loved that it introduced someone important from Marvelous' past - and that it once again showcased the bond between Marvelous & Joe.

Because Joe was the first one to notice that something was wrong when Marvelous turned all broody. I loved this scene because the other four were bickering in the background while Marvelous & Joe actually had a serious conversation. And then at the end, when everyone rushed to the space sheriff and Joe headed directly to Marvelous to grip his shoulder again the way Gavan did it before...

It's such tiny details like this that make a consistent characterization and show - instead of telling - the bond between two people. I love it! It's a drama for kids but certain Western shows could honestly take pointers from it!

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I cried. I cried so hard that I actually felt sick. I can't remember this ever happening to me. This was a wonderful movie but so incredibly sad that just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.

Fukushi Sota was amazing as Satoru - and Satoru was an amazing character. Inspiring in his inherent sweetness and kindness. The way he touched the lives of everyone around him, the way he brought the best out of people! Roles like that suit Fukushi Sota so well because he truly has the sweetest smile, he has the ability to make his eyes laugh!

The movie also featured the late Takeuchi Yuko as Satoru's aunt, Noriko, which added to the sadness of it. Because she was a great actress and her death two years back made the world a little... less.

Takahata Mitsuki as the voice of Nana the Cat was perfectly chosen, too. Nana's petulance but also his - yes, the cat was a male, though Takahata Mitsuki is female - love for Satoru, the way Nana adored his owner and stayed with him till Satoru's very last moments.

A beautiful, but also a terribly sad movie. Don't watch it if you feel depressed or down. But do watch it if you feel like having a good cry. The movie is worth your tears.

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Kamen Riders vs. Super Sentai. And really, truly, honestly a fantastic movie! Not only did it showcase great battle moments - like between Fourze & Meteor (Kamen Rider Fourze) - it also featured storylines between Tsukasa & Kaitou (Kamen Rider Decade) and Marvelous & Joe (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger) that carried the whole thing. It also introduced me to so many teams that I didn't know but now I want to!

My favorite thing was, of course, the storyline that focused on Joe and his bond with Marvelous. Joe's grief, his trust in Marvelous and then his despair when Marvelous betrayed that trust, that was so... wow. I did miss some fallout of that, true, but this is a kids movie, after all.

My favorite moments?

When Tsukasa's henchmen almost killed Joe and Marvelous stepped in at the very last moment and saved his life. It didn't exactly fall into Marvelous' plan but he couldn't just let them kill Joe, after all.

When Marvelous betrayed Joe and Kaitou - Kaitou!!! - stepped in and protected Joe from him. Kaitou's "He's been hurt enough!" made me squee on the inside!

And then, when Kaitou was leaving and his last goodbye was for Joe - and Joe returned it. That was simply perfect, the cherry on top.

Also, the combined robot creature? It was actually scary O.O Wow!

This movie made me very, very happy!

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The main draw for me here was Inukai Atsuhiro playing the lead, 'Mob'. Mob, as in the 'extra' in a BL manga. The character who's there but doesn't really add anything to the story. And he's just fine with it, thank you very much.

Gosh, Inukai and his facial expressions were the cherry on top of an already hilarious plot. The way he hunched over, narrowed his eyes and almost wrinkled his nose, expressing his "Pah, lovebirds!" feels, had me in stitches. I loved how he dodged his own love encounters, refusing to become a "trope victim" while "sacrificing" others for the greater good - and wishing them all the happiness in the world!

But also, Mob's relationship with his brother honestly warmed my heart. He loved Ayato and Ayato loved him, dearly so, that much was obvious. And though Ayato couldn't help but see his big brother as a bit of a nutjob - really, no wonder! - that didn't change anything. And even their parents - also eyeing Mob with suspicion - were sweet. At the center of this mad thing truly was a sweet, loving family. Which was what ultimately sold me on this drama, its solid center.

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This is a story of two couples who switch partners after university. And then, 18 years later, they switch partners again, divorcing and remarrying immediately. And then, on top of that, they all move into one big house together, the four of them and their two teenage kids, Miki, the main heroine, and Yuu, the Marmalade Boy. The teens start off on the wrong foot but after some time, they become good friends and then they fall in love. But then the real bombshell comes when it seems that Miki and Yuu are actually half-siblings, that they're blood related. But are they really?

Sakurai Hinako as Miki and Yoshizawa Ryo as Yuu were absolutely fabulous! I loved how different they were, Miki and Yuu. Miki was so brash, always saying out loud what she didn't like and not budging. Yuu, on the other hand, kept it all in, all his hurt and everything else, because all he wanted was for their parents to be happy - despite their questionable life choices! - for everyone to be happy.

It's a story about the consequences of miscommunication, really. Because Miki and Yuu were simply trying to navigate the mess that their parents unwittingly created by keeping vital info from them. What I did love, though, was that not for a single moment did the kids think that they were not loved. They knew they were, deeply. Even Yuu, thinking that his dad was not his real father, didn't feel bitterness towards his parents, no, he was grateful that his mom didn't simply abort him and that his dad brought him up as his own child and he loved them for it. It was honestly wonderful.

I loved it a lot. What a weird and not at all normal family, true, but also so full of love!

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This movie! Magical realism at its best! And honestly, one of the most amazing roles I've seen Iwata Takanori in so far!

Juliette Binoche plays Jeanne who returns to Japan after some twenty odd years to look for a herb called Vision that appears only every 997 years. It's a miracle herb that should be able to erase all the pain in the world. She meets a forester and his old blind female friend who claims to be 1000 years old. The old woman recognizes Jeanne and Jeanne recognizes her. And then the woman disappears, we last see her dancing in the forest and the trees and the wind responding to her. And Jeanne returns home, promising to come back in the fall to see Vision come alive...

When she leaves, the forester, Satoshi, who now lives all alone just with his dog, finds a hurt young man in the forest, Iwata Takanori's Rin. He takes Rin home and Rin stays with him and he starts taking care of the forest with Satoshi. Satoshi really takes to him, treating him almost like a son. And then Jeanne returns and she immediately senses that there's something odd about Rin who almost doesn't speak, though he's very smart - odd like the fact that he can sense approaching death and things like that...

And now to the awesome twist!

It turns out that Rin is Jeanne's son, she had him with a Japanese man who got accidentally killed during a hunt. When Rin was born, Jeanne left him with the old blind woman who then took him to his grandparents who brought him up. But that's not all. Because Rin was born in the forest, it reacts to him just like to the blind woman before him and, guided by his father's spirit, he sets the forest afire with his dance to make Vision come alive again...

Wow, it was so... I mean... that was so cool! You can speculate if Rin is like the old woman, if he will also live to 1000 years till the Vision herb will need to be reborn to guide the next person who will have the power to set the forest afire and make it grow again. Or if it was all just a dream and a series of coincidences and made up stories, but that's the amazing thing about magical realism, there doesn't need to be an explanation. It can just be.

Amazing movie, honestly. The cinematography, the music, all the relationships - especially between Satoshi and Rin, it was awesome to see Satoshi laugh! Though it took me a bit to get used to them switching between French, English and Japanese constantly. That was fun!

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I really liked this drama - until the finale, that is.

Like I stated before, I don't like coffee shop romances, they're all fine and good in fanfics but I need some real conflict, something that in a way carries the fluff, and though it looked like this drama would have that, it was just a red herring, that was all. I kinda felt cheated.

Also, that the people closest to Yu Zhen manipulated him and made him think he was being left behind again? Made him chase after his love even though the last time he did that - chased after a man - he got in an accident and almost died? That rankled. Instead of Shi Lei telling Yu Zhen, "Look, I get that you're really bad at communicating for understandable reasons, so sit down, shut up and let me do the talking!" they played this... game on Yu Zhen? Uh.

I'm curious about the special next week and about where Yi Zi Tong's story is headed, true, but I would lie if I said that the conclusion of BLIHID didn't disappoint me.

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