Zíza

The cast is just excellent – Ishihara, Suda, Munetaka, Kishitani, and Eguchi did a great job. Honda Tsubasa also had a large role, but either she hasn't matured yet or she simply will never be a very good actress. This is a series set in the work environment and the Japanese do those very well. Moreover, the romance storyline is also very nicely handled, so I can only recommend this.

Such stupid fun. It's a comedy, a parody, and you can't expect anything else from it. It may look cheap, but I feel like that is simply part of Gintama (for example, the episode in the anime where they were just skimping on animation and Gin couldn't get out of bed). It’s great stupid fun, especially good at the beginning, then of course it has to get a bit serious and then I wasn't really that into it anymore. But still very well done live action film. That year 2017 was pretty prolific for them.

Okay. That's right. I liked this episode better than the last one. It's biggest weakness is the jumping from one story to the next, from one character to the drama of the others, because it makes the film slightly less consistent and it can be rather challenging to watch for those viewers who only came to the cinema to eat popcorn. Still, it just enchanted me. Yes, it had weaknesses and things that didn't make sense and the physics didn't make sense, but that's just how Star Wars is, right? The transformation of Ben into Kylo Ren is just perfectly captured here, and it's so well done I couldn't believe it. And then of course like all the other perverts I started shipping him with Rey. I hope it will end like a fairy tale, since it's now coming from Disney... It was good. I’m satisfied. May the force be with you.

By a hair. I like how it takes all the clichés of the genre and works with them in its own way. I realize that some viewers may take a while to come around to the filmmakers' game, but as long as it doesn’t give you swift pain and you just take it as a hilarious self-reflection of the Shōjo genre, you will simply enjoy it. Plus, the running time and the formats make it go by briskly. The only downside may be that it's a little harder to navigate the characters. Who's who? Is he the one who professed his undying love? Is she the one who sent the text message? Is he the one who keeps asking if she wants to poop? Hey, it's senpai! You can always recognize that dude, he’s the blond one. A weaker 4 stars.

Another piece I liked better live-action than animated. I walked away from the film satisfied; the acting was more than decent for this kind of live-action film. Of course the story is cut to just one storyline and I can actually say – thank goodness! If there were other ones mixed in, then yes, it would have been much more brutal, but again, it wouldn't have worked as a standalone film. Maybe they'll make us a sequel where they cover a chunk of something else again. There would be room for it. I can understand why fans in Japan were against casting Ōizumi Yō as Kureo Mado; after all, he has a reputation as more of a comedian and an actor who plays wimps, but I didn't think it was too bad. He did what he was supposed to do. Of course, the film doesn't scare you so much as share criticism of the injustice in society and give you the uncomfortable feeling that something is wrong. You know that neither side is bad or good, which is why it can be hard to choose who to root for. But not to drag this out, I liked it, the music, cinematography, and CGI were all of a very decent standard. A strong 3 stars.

The series doesn't take itself seriously, but at the same time there is a sort of serious line running through the whole story. What's very successful about it is that the two lines don't clash at all, on the contrary they blend and complement each other well. High quality humor, hyperbole, a great soundtrack plays into it, enriched at times by very pleasantly playful cinematography (especially those dolly shots that curved around the scene). The "critical" scenes were polished and fatefully staged. As I say, the series makes it blatantly clear that it doesn't take itself all that seriously. And for such a light-hearted series, it had a good story, so why not. If you're in the mood for a bunch of Robin Hoods, a one-panel mystery, and far-fetched thefts and escapes from the police (the hyperbole was especially evident at these points), go for it. I had a great time watching it. And most importantly... it's all about love.

I stopped enjoying the beginning the moment I realized the original actor playing No. 444 just wasn't going to be there much. Then I dabbled in it, not really enjoying it, but around episode 10 it started to get good and I really enjoyed the crime side of it. And the romance? Ugh, barf, bleh. Except that then I started feeling uncertain about it again, it got incredibly overwrought, and my excitement for the crime storyline completely waned and I was having to push myself to watch it. The main character was over the top, I really couldn't stand her, an incredibly annoying creature. Too bad they wrote her that way. I finished watching it more out of inertia than anything else, I'm sure I would have been fine if I had just clicked through and saved myself some time. For me, an incredibly contradictory series, for which 50% is just about right. And the ending. WTF.

It may have taken a while, but ultimately I, too, fell in love with Amachan. It’s a proper asadora, naive and often optimistic. Of course, we still don't avoid more serious situations, especially towards the end. I have to admit, though, that I'm already feeling a little sad for them. Each had that character and quirkiness that you could rely on and relate to. The Amano family was great, I would definitely love to sit with them and be treated to their warmth. With a minimum of exceptions they all played it perfectly, but I have to single out Rena in particular, my god, that girl just has talent! She completely outshined both Kasumi and Ai, not to mention that even some of the adults were completely lost next to her energy. I also have to praise Kudō Kankurō. I've known the guy for a while, but here he proved that he's not my favorite writer/director for nothing. Of course, his typical screenwriting elements were recognizable here, but the man outdid himself and brought something to the table that I haven't seen in any of his previous work. What can I say, I was hooked, I was laughing like crazy even at three in the morning, I was having fun with them, and they even managed to move me. It's silly, but I think you just need that kind of stuff in your life. The format is just good enough to watch with a meal. But as time goes on, I don't think it's gonna be enough...

The special is also in a similar vein to the series. It picks up right where the series ends – mercilessly. Oguri’s Ishikawa is silent for half of the series, staring into space, and the viewer can see the turmoil as he wonders what's next. But then another dead man appears, Ishikawa's friend, and his actions take on the right dimension. Everyone knows what happened, and yet... in the end, Ishikawa must decide. Great atmosphere, great Oguri, I would have loved to see this on screen. If you liked the series, don't miss this one.

I like movies where nothing happens. But in the end, I left unconvinced of the film's greater qualities because there wasn't a single scene that could emotionally impact me. I did sympathize with Fin, and the way Joe cajoled him in the beginning was very nice, not to mention the introduction to Olivia, but the afterglow of the film was very weak. Minor SPOILER – it's like they just removed Joe at the end because it wasn't convenient for him to show up in the story, and then put him back in without a single scene, like nothing happened, everything's cool, because that's just how you forgive in America? I just don't buy it. End of minor SPOILER. But it's good. An unpretentious movie for young and old viewers alike.