Today, like the other couple of days I’d like to make yet another film recommendation.

The Death Note Series

• Japan Casts:
Asaka Seto, Ikuji Nakamura, Matsuyama Kenichi, Tatsuya Fujiwara
• Description:

Light Yagami is a university student who resents the crime and corruption in the world. His life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the “Death Note”, lying on the ground. The Death Note’s instructions claim that, if a humans name is written within it, that person will be killed. Light is initially skeptical of the Death Note’s authenticity, believing it is just a prank. However, after experimenting with it and killing two criminals, Light is forced to admit that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a Shinigami named Ryuk, Light seeks to become “the God of the New World” by passing his judgment on criminals.

Soon, the number of inexplicable deaths of reported criminals catches the attention of the International Police Organization and a mysterious detective known only as “L”. L quickly learns that the serial killer, dubbed by the public as “Kira” (derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the English word “Killer”), is located in Japan. L also concludes that Kira can kill people without laying a finger on them. Light realizes that L will be his greatest nemesis, and a race to prove mental superiority between the two begins.

Review: There’s three movies all together: Death Note; Death Note: The Last Name; and Death Note: L Change the world. The cinema in this movie is what you would likely expect of Tokyo. Slightly cheesy, but with some good parts in places. The script, on the other hand, is well written for each of these movies. It presents a pretty good “what if” narrative that would chill anyone. I like it particularly because it’s a “thinking horror” flick. It’s somewhere between intense drama and freaky. A very good candidate for any US director to consider remaking for US audiences

~J

Today I have yet another film recommendation that I found quite interesting..

(Movie) UDON

• Japan Casts:
Kaname Jun, Katagiri Jin, Kiba Katsumi, Kinishi Manami, Kohinata Fumiyo, Masu Takeshi, Matsumoto Tortoise, Suzuki Kyoka, Yusuke Santamaria
• Description:
“There’s nothing here. Just udon.”
The story starts in a town in Kagawa Prefecture, home to 1 million residents and 900 udon restaurants.
Kosuke Matsui – an aspiring comedian and son of an udon noodlemaker – hates his small-town life, but hates udon even more.
After a fight with his father, he goes to New York to launch his dream career as a stand-up comedian, but six years and one massive debt later he is forced to go home.
When he returns, he finds nothing has changed — his sister still worries about him, his father is still pounding away at noodles, his friends are the same, and there’s still a bowl of warm udon waiting for him when he gets home.
To repay his debt, he works at a publishing company where he meets Kyoko. Together they write a column about udon, which surprisingly kicks off an udon sensation across Japan, changing their lives. Especially Kosuke’s.

Review: When I sat down to watch Udon I expected a masterful movie about soup. However Udon makes an effort to emphasize in the beginning the growing resentment between the US and Japan in the late 80’s for Japan’s industrial growth. Then in a double back twist emphasize one of Japan’s rural backwoods culture that’s anything but industrious. I get that the movie was trying to show the audience that perceptions of a nation don’t always add up. Here we have Americans thinking that all of Japan is gearing up for economic war (from the beginning of the movie) then through the narrative of Kosuke we find out that there’s spots in Japan like Kagawa that still are dwelling in a 1930’s – 1940’s mentality. In the end, the town endures a revival and Kosuke returns back to New York where he was shunned earlier to make his stance which he became quite successful at. This left an unusual aftertaste. Perhaps in the end it’s the reassurance that Japanese shouldn’t take American’s resentment seriously. That even Time’s Square is for the taking if one looks back to his/her roots and follows their dream.

~J

Foreign Film recommendations:

I’m always into various entertainments from abroad and recently I’ve been watching some pretty good shows and films from Japan that I think are worth sharing.

(Movie) The Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO)

• Japan Casts:
Enjouji Aya, Fujiki Naohito, Hayashi Chika, Hayashi Tomoka, Ida Kunihiko, Ikeuchi Hiroyuki, Kimura Tae, Kirari, Kobayashi Masahiro, Kondo Yoshimasa, Kubozuka Yosuke, Kuroda Miki, Mabuchi Erika, Matsushima Nanako, Murakami Rikako, Nakamura Aimi, Nakao Akira, Numata Baku, Oguri Shun, Sasai Eisuke , Shirakawa Minami, Shirakawa Yumi, Sorimachi Takashi, Tajima Reiko, Tateishi Ryoko, Tokuyama Hidenori, Yamazaki Yuta
• Description:
While peeping up girls’ skirts at a local shopping mall, Onizuka meets a girl who agrees to go out on a date with him. Onizuka’s attempt to sleep with her fails when her current “boyfriend”, her teacher, shows up at the love hotel they are in and asks her to return to him. The teacher is old and unattractive, but has enough influence over her that she leaps from a second story window and lands in his arms.
Onizuka, seeing this display of a teacher’s power over girls, decides to become one himself. In his quest, he discovers three important things:
1. He has a conscience and a sense of morality. This means taking advantage of impressionable schoolgirls is out… but their unusually attractive mothers are a different matter.
2. He enjoys teaching and most of the time, he teaches life lessons rather than schoolwork.
3. He hates the systems of traditional education, especially when they have grown ignorant and condescending to students and their needs.
With these realizations, he sets out to become the greatest teacher ever, using his own brand of philosophy and the ability to do nearly anything when under enough pressure. He is hired as a long-shot teacher by a privately operated school to tame a class that has driven one teacher to a mysterious death, one to nervous breakdown, and one to joining a cult. He embarks on a mission of self-discovery by breaking through to each student one by one, and helping each student to overcome their problems and learn to genuinely enjoy life.
Review: This is a well known and popular anime/manga from Japan that’s been put into a great funny movie that works both the comedy aspect of GTO’s great narrative, while also inserting spot of real sincerity. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a great sit back “good feeling” comedy.

~J