And I thought I opened and read the wrong thread.

If really want similar Japanese action film to The Raid, maybe can try Re: Born (2016). A lot of CQC here. Storywise, nothing much, usual Japanese moody type.

Maybe the director was trying to make a Metal Gear Solid film but couldn't get the copyright.

However, Tak Sakaguchi is great as a villain in [キングダム] Kingdom (2019); a film based on the manga/anime ... which is based on China's Qin Shi Huang & the Warring States period.

Not a bad fictional+historical film, rousing soundtrack, good actions albeit some are over the top, pacing is good.

This post has been edited by r2t2: Mar 30 2020, 06:03 PM

Due to this MCO period, got more time to watch old Japanese films ... classic 70s

Was interested in watching [幸福の黄色いハンカチ] The Yellow Handkerchief (1977), due to the classic English song as well; wasn't expecting a very well acted film.



After done watching, googled about the film, found out it's the winner of the first Best Picture award at the Japan Academy Prize in 1978.

Structured as a road trip film, but it's a deeper character study story. Each of the three characters got their own relationship/inner conflicts; two met first but the film is mainly about one character (and his wife through flashbacks). Was remade into an American film (same title, 2008 ... the actress in the 1977 film even got a supporting role), and another time as a Japanese TV movie (2011).

For those who had watched it before, what's the name of the song playing on the car radio during one scene? It's quite melodic, you'll know it ...

(Edit : found the song using Soundhound ... apparently it's quite a well-known song from 1975)


This might be a cover version, there are plenty more with the original singer/band, but I like the background pictures in this one ... throwback to traveling in Japan

This post has been edited by r2t2: Mar 30 2020, 07:07 PM

Not really into all classic films, depending on the directors and actors.

Akira Kurosawa is one of them ... ya, watched Rashomon before, during uni days ... actually I watched in university library audio/visual room, on VHS tape , they got a small collection of classic films.

Might post some brief reviews of classic and newer Japanese films that I think can be recommended even for youngsters. e.g. [東京物語] Tokyo Story (1953) and its 2013 [東京家族] Tokyo Family remake; plus Yoji Yamada's [家族はつらいよ] What a Wonderful Family! trilogy (2016-2018). (Haven't watched any of Yamada-sensei's 'Tora-san'/男はつらいよ films though ... now might, since found out he is the director of 幸福の黄色いハンカチ also)

Now mostly into Hirokazu Koreeda's films, started with [幻の光] Maborosi (1995).

This post has been edited by r2t2: Mar 30 2020, 07:35 PM

Restricted movement life is almost over ... most are going back to full working mode.
After been lockdown most of the time at home, feels like normal life has changed.

I sometimes wonder, what if I didn't join the rat race, took a step back to look at life, and decided to make a life at a beautiful rural place.
That's what's on my mind while watching the Little Forest duology:-

1) [リトル・フォレスト: 夏/秋] Little Forest: Summer/Autumn (2014)
2) [リトル・フォレスト: 冬/春] Little Forest: Winter/Spring (2015)



Just 4 parts of laid-back relaxing films about 4-seasons life as a farmer in a small town called Komori, in Japan.
No real plots/storyline, just a girl escaping from her directionless life in Tokyo after been 'abandoned' by her mother. Slowly she's discovering back her love for the routine farming life through the food, and the recipes she learned from her memory of her mother.

If this looks familiar, for me who didn't know about the manga or the Korean remake in 2018 [리틀 포레스트], it feels/looks like the life of media creator/YouTuber 李子柒 Liziqi or 滇西小哥 Dianxi Xiaoge or 龙梅梅 Longmeimei, or even the Malaysian girl who moved back to her kampung and made agriculture her main focus, with added light story.

Good for pondering and wondering when life slowed down, a needed break from the norm.

Sometimes, after finished watching a movie, you feel like continuing with a similarly themed movie ... like want to watch a companion piece, so that both movies will be memorable.

After viewing Little Forest : Summer/Autumn, I did the opposite ... while waiting for my Mom to watch Little Forest : Winter/Spring together the following day, I just wanna carry on with other Japanese movies which I know my Mom won't watch; as it happened, becoz it's 'convenient', I just choose Parasyte Part 1 & 2 ... maybe becoz it's a 2-parter as well (technically Little Forest is 4-parter).

While watching, I thought, aeii? ... this main actress looks familiar ... oh, it's the same main actress in Little Forest. Ai Hashimoto [橋本 愛]
Same released years somemore


1) [寄生獣] Parasyte: Part 1 (2014)
2) [寄生獣　完結編] Parasyte: Part 2 (2015)

Watchable ... not bad, the special effects more than acceptable ... and the storyline got mother issue plot as well .... talk about unconnected, but related.
Rather than an action-packed alien invasion, it focused more how becoming less human (for the human side), and how to understand human (for the alien/parasite side).
Funny in parts, gory in most scenes, it's a drama about humanity.

The main actor, Shota Sometani [染谷 将太], didn't follow his career; seems like a prolific actor, starred in quite a lot of movies/tv series/voice acting since 2010. Ai Hashimoto acted with Shota Sometani also in Sadako 3D (2012), and Parks (2017); not surprising, Shota is like Kevin Bacon in the 80/90s (hence the 'game', 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon). Actually got more than few of Shota's films, haven't watched yet .... and now hibernation mode is over.