Did I mention that I really enjoy watching Asian movies/series than Western ones?
I think I did. Or probably not. But now you know.
Aside from indulging myself with K-dramas and K-movies most of the time, I also enjoy watching movies and tv series from other countries like Japan and Taiwan. I think I and most of my friends have been familiar with series from Taiwan because when we were kids, our local tv stations had broadcasted them every afternoon. But speaking of Japanese cultural products, I know I am familiar with anime since I was a kid (we religiously watched Doraemon, Ninja Hattori, Dragon Ball etc because they were broadcasted on national TV stations), but not their actual movies/series. Well, actually once, it was Itazura Na Kiss! but that was very old ones.
I started watching the Japanese movie when I was in high school, I barely remember when actually, and that's all. I didn't have any intention to explore more at that time because I always thought that Japanese boys are not that attractive compare to the South Koreans lol. My first time watching a Japanese movie was in 2011ish, I watched a ParaKiss DVD and loving the story. Fast-forward to 2015 when I was busy with my bachelor thesis, I found this movie called LDK on my hard drive and decided to give it a try since I didn't have anything to watch at that time. And so on, I started to immerse and explore those Japanese high school manga adaptation movies more!
Having said that, I do have some of my favourites that I actually really enjoyed! Here are some of them、始めましょう！
Paradise Kiss
Source: Google
This is tbh the first live-action movie that I've ever watched. It was adapted from a Josei manga with the same title. Abbreviated as ParaKiss, this movie tells a story about Hayasaka 'Caroline' Yukari, a senior high school student from a top school who is living her life with continuous study. One day, she met a group of fashion design students; George Koizumi, Isabella Yamamoto, Miwako Sakurada, and Arashi, who want to scout her as their runaway model for their graduation project. At first, she declined the offer and later visited by George Koizumi who is the leader of the group, that later, would be the person who has a big influence on her life decision. Long story short, along with the ParaKiss, Yukari experienced a completely opposite world with the one that she used to live in and found her life purpose that she really wants to do.
I love Yukari's character! She is somehow relatable with most Asian girls during high school, confused and doesn't know what she really wants to do with her life. Then, George or Jo-ji, a cold and mysterious good looking designer, who apparently faces the same hardship with Yukari. At first, he looked scary and kinda annoying? because He kept starring at Yukari most of the times, geez. If you didn't read the manga or watch the anime, you probably are confused about how did he develop his feelings for Yukari because he didn't really show it in the movie. Though, I personally prefer Jo-ji in the movie rather than the one in the manga (Lol he is a complete womanizer there). Also in this movie, you can see so many pretty clothes in these movies. I personally love the butterfly dress, the first dress that Yukari wore when everyone realized that Yukari could be Jo-ji's muse for all this time.
Speaking of the casts, I loveeeee Keiko Kitagawa, she is just so pretty. Osamu Mukai, on the other hand, really gives a different impression of Japanese men that I used to know. He is definitely good looking in a normal way HAHAHHAHAHA. By mean normal, it is because used to think that Japanese's definition of handsome is kinda odd. If you see Hiroyuki in the movie, who is depicted as a popular guy in Yukari's school, you will understand what I mean :) Anyway, Osamu Mukai has been my topmost ((handsome)), Japanese actor, because of this, and I've been watching many of his dramas/movies ever since.
Overall, 4.5/5 IMO because I just love to see everything in this movie.
and also I love the OSTs! YOU and Hello were sung by Yui and both are my absolute faves, they were also the first Japanese songs that I have ever liked. I have so many first times with ParaKiss, that is why this is my number 1 Japanese movie of all time because whenever I watch it gives me natsukashii feelings all over!!!
LDK
Source: Google
LDK was definitely a culprit that dragged me into this entire Japanese live-action movie frenzy. This was the movie where I first discovered Yamazaki Kento and fell in love ever since. LDK is a typical Japanese romantic comedy, based on a manga with the same title. The story tells about a high school student named Aoi Nishimori who lives alone in an apartment because her parents have to move to another city for work Apparently, the popular guy at her school, Shushei Kugayama moves in next to her apartment unit. One day, there was an incident that makes Shusei has to stay in Aoi's apartment.
From here you can expect that they live together for some times, and develop feelings towards each other. Yep, high school students, a popular boy at school, live together. It is a very typical plot that you can find from many Japanese mangas. It's actually a cheesy kind of teenage romance, which I highly embrace lol. I love this kind of story because it is just light, pure, and enjoyable without having to think hard. Definitely something that makes your heart flatters, especially if you love tsundere kind of boy, this is definitely for you. Yamazaki Kento plays Shusei's characters as a popular tsundere boy really well. From the way, he shows his expression to his affection towards Aoi in the most tsundere way you have ever seen that would make your heart skipped a bit at least once. There are so many scenes that would make you fall in love with his character more and more. He can be really cold but also can be the warmest person. His playfulness adds on his charms. Aoi, on the other side, is just a plain ordinary, rather shy high school girl, who was not interested with Shusei at first, But after knowing him personally, she starts to develop feelings. I also like Aoi's character. It is just fun to see her character as a pure girl who has to live with this popular guy at her school and tried so hard to hide it from her friends.
All in all, I give this a 4 because it is so enjoyable. A movie that will make you feel good. I guarantee there are so many cute scenesssssss that make you go crazy😍✨
ps: They have a sequel for this, but with different casts (OMG I love Sugino Yosuke and Ryuusei Yokohama here!) tho the girl was a bit off IMO.
Heroine Disqualified (Heroine Shikkaku)
Source: Google
Heroine Disqualified was the most highly-anticipated movie after I knew Yamazaki Kento, and I remember that this was really popular at that time. It is a hilarious romantic comedy that will make you lol, makes it the most amusing Japanese rom-com movie I have ever watched. It is about Hatori Matsuzaki, a high school student who likes her childhood best friend Terasaka Rita, and believe that she is the heroine of his life. However, Rita starts dating another girl named Adachi, and most popular boy at school Hiromitsu Kosuke takes an interest in Hatori.
What I love from this movie that it is so freaking hilarious!!! Hatori is portrayed as a sweet and cute high school girl, yet extremely expressive in the funniest possible way. I can't stop laughing every time she daydreams and speaks to herself about whatever crosses her mind, especially when she sees Rita and Adachi. Aside from her cheerfulness, she is also honest about her feeling, naive and a bit selfish, which can be seen from how she conveyed about her feelings toward Rita and Hiromitsu. These combinations of natures she has made her a very interesting character that I fell in love with. Did I say that Mirei Kiritani really looks like Hatori in the manga yet? She is like the exact copy of Hatori IRL lol. She nailed Hatori's character perfectly and I think I have read somewhere that she is actually the main inspiration for Hatori's character. Meanwhile, Rita is a cold-looking and quiet boy who apparently has a trauma because his mother left him in the past. He is always with Hatori every single time, and always takes a picture of her randomly lol. Albeit his flat and cold expression, Rita is actually very sweet and caring, especially towards Hatori, and Adachi (when they started to date). However, Rita is very indecisive when it comes to his feelings toward Hatori and Adachi, which is something that I dislike from his character. From my perspective as someone who had read the manga, I think Kento played Rita's character very nicely, no doubt! I won't comment about Adachi because her character is the most complicated ones. At last, Hiromitsu-kun! Played by Kentaro Sakaguchi, and this I think is the first time I saw him. Hiromitsu is a type of high-school Ikemen who is popular among the girls, who eventually fell in love with Hatori. I also love Hiromitsu's character and some times, I prefer him to be with Hatori rather than Rita.
Source: Google
My favourite scene of course when Hatori and Rita went to Hanabi Taikai (Fireworks festival) after Hatori's love plan to create a 'gap' between her and Rita during their summer holidays to make Rita feel empty? HAHA
Overall, I love this movie because it is an entertaining light-hearted romance with a twist of comedy that will make you laugh a lot. I know that the story in the Manga is wayyyyyyy better than the movie, but also I did not have a high expectation for a live-action like this since the duration is very short comparing to the manga. It is adorable and cringes at the same time, something that you can always expect from Japanese high-school romance. It is full of funny and sweet scenes, with great cinematography. I also highly recommend to read the manga, I have read it two times and never fails me.
so, 4,9/5?
Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Youth)
Source: Google
Ao Haru Ride is one of the very classic Japanese live-actions. In contrary to other movies that I have mentioned, this one is not a romantic comedy that will make you laugh. It is a high-school drama about Yoshioka Futaba who suddenly met Kou Tanaka, her first love in middle school. They promised to meet at a fireworks festival, but he never came and mysteriously disappeared. In her first year, she learnt that Kou was also enrolled in her school. But apparently, he changed his family name to Kou Mabuchi and has become a completely different person than Futaba knew back then.
Ao Haru Ride was a tad slow movie with a deep character's development. It is a story about the beauty of adolescence life, a life that is sweet and bright, but also fragile and painful at the same time. Every character has their own struggles as teenagers which perfectly depict this movie's title well. First is Futaba, who completely changes her looks in high school as a tomboy. She was an outcast because many were jealous of her popularity among boys. The high school Kou is cold, sarcastic and sometimes rude. Turns out that his personality changed due to some hardships that his family faced in the past. Then Yuri, Futaba's classmate who experiences the same ostracize with Futaba, became friendly with her. She also fell in love with Kou but does not want to ruin her friendship with Futaba. The last is Marao, an unfriendly looking girl who does not trust any girlfriends, but somehow managed to become friends with Futaba and Yuri. She has been in love with Kou's older brother, which is their sensei at school. Their struggles somehow make their friendship even stronger.
Source: Google
What I love from this movie aside their character development is the cinematography. It is typical for a Japanese romance movie with a dreamy mood, but this fits the story perfectly, especially for their flashback scenes. And of course, every high-school Japanese movie always shows a scene of their characters going to school with falling sakura petals as the background. It is indeed beautiful and I think has become their template hahhaha. Overall, I also love this because it's a warm and sweet teen story that would make you smile throughout the movie. Though this is not really my cup a coffee I still enjoyed it to the bits. This also my first ever Tsubasa Honda's movie before I watched Koinaka! Also the first time I know Masahiro Higashide.
I would give this a 4.5!
Hirunaka no Ryuusei (Daytime Shooting Star)
Source: Google
Hirunaka no Ryuusei might be the oddest storyline that I can accept (I still think that a student-teacher love story is a taboo). However, I think this was really cute? I don't know, probably because the sensei was played by Shohei Miura, who doesn't look like an old man sensei. The story is about a Suzume, a country girl who moves to Tokyo to live with her uncle because her parents have to move overseas for work. When she arrives in Tokyo and gets lost, she was helped by a stranger to get her to his uncle's house. She finds out that this stranger, named Shisio Satsuki, is actually her uncle's friend and soon to be her homeroom teacher at school. Eventually, Suzume develops her feelings towards him. At her new school, she also meets Mamura Daiki, a boy who looks cool and aloof and seems to be uninterested in girls. Suzume finds that Mamura is actually shy being around girls and unsure of how to deal with them. Thus, she wants to changes that and they become closer, and Mamura falls for her. So, this where the love triangle between them starts.
What I love about this movie is how they portray the relationship between Suzume and Satsuki. I have never enjoyed other student-teacher love story but this reveals more on complicated situations between them in the most realistic way. The movie exhibits Suzume's innocence and struggles as a student who has never been in love, who finally falls in love, with her Sensei. The moment that she has to figure out her feelings and contemplating the consequences of her feelings towards her sensei, has made the plot more compelling. Satsuki, on the other hand, is shown to also have feelings towards her but troubled on his thought so much on what to do, thus seen restrain himself from Suzume.
I love Suzume characters for being a bright and optimistic girl, yet a bit awkward because of her hurdles being adjusted in big city life and her new friends. She is depicted as an average girl (rather plain tbh), but she has a quirky side that makes her a really refreshing heroine. Satsuki is fun and playful, a typical cool-senpai rather than sensei. He is also a very warm person and always tries his best to make mature decisions on her relationship with Suzume. Speaking fo Mamura, I did not really explore about him that much because I am a firm #TeamSensei. But his honesty really makes him looks adorable, tho.
I also read the manga but I already forgot how the story goes. If you like a refreshing and sweet love story, you are gonna love this. Love Shohei Miura as Satsuki, cos he kinda resembles the manga character perfectly! Mei Nagano also successfully brings out Suzume's refreshing character to life.
so 4,2 for this!
Those are my most favourite Japanese Live-action movies that I have ever watched. I have watched them at least twice lol because they are my current all-time favourite. Other movies that have a similar genre and also based on manga you might wanna try to watch:
- Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince): another Yamazaki Kento's! I did enjoy this but not really a fan, but I watched the anime, tho! It was much better than the movie hahaha but if you want to see Kento, go for it. He's kinda like a sadist tsundere in here
- Sukitte Ii Nayo (say I love you): Based on very popular shoujo manga with the same title, this is my very first Fukushi Sota's movie. Also my favourite but I kinda hate his hair here lol it's soo Harajuku style. Many people love this so I think it's one of a good classic that you should watch.
- Isshukan Friend (One Week Friends): Ok, one of Kento's live-action again! No wonder he is also known as 'The prince of live-action'. It is about a girl named Kaori who forgets her memories every Monday, hence she cuts off herself from everyone. It is an interesting story, but I remember that I wasn't that into it.
- Boku wa Asu, Kini no Kimi to Deto Suru (I will date the Yesterday's You): Ok this one is not based from Shoujo manga but based on the novel. This is not a rom-com, obviously. I can say this is kinda like a mellow drama with a twist of sci-fi? I love this because it gives you a very unique love story that I, personally, have never thought about. Also played by Fukushi Sota and Nana Komatsu. The rating of this movie is also very good, everyone who had watched this said this is one of the best.
If you decide to watch one of those, I really hope that you would enjoy them as much as I did.
I would love to write the Dorama version of this.....but let's see, because I honestly took a lot of time to finish this hahaha!
thanks for reading!
