Uzumaki (2001)

Also known as: Spiral, Vortex, Out of this world
Country: Japan
Genre: horror, psycho,
Format: movie
Cast: Hatsune Eriko, Fan Fhi, Saeki Hinako, Shin Eun Kyung, Takahashi Keiko, Osugi Ren, Abe Sadao,
Synopsis: Kirie lives in a small town and is a normal high school student. One day she sees her best friend's (almost boyfriend) dad filming snail, she thinks that he did not notice her and does not think about it anymore. Later Shuichi tells her that his father has lately started to act weirder and weirder just like he would have been summoned by the vortex. His dad ends his life with suicide and one by one people in town get obsessed with spirals - some of them turn into snails, some's hair become Medusa-like and many many die... 
Rating: STARLESS
It is the most horrible horror-movie ever - it is not horrifying at all. Easily said, it sucks in every way. To me, most of the people in this movie seemed crazy lunatics already before they where obsessed by the vortex. Most of the movie was just disturbing and sick, but definitely not scary-

As they do not explain any character nor their actions, I really cannot analyse them. Kirie seemed just weird, naive girl, who did not have any sensible thinking. Shuichi was veeery weird and I was 100% sure that he was the one who messed up this town, but I had to disappoint. I really liked Sekino, because she at least had a reason in her actions and I am a big fan of her Medusa-hair, but that was it. The only normal character in it was the detective, who was rather smart, but sadly you do not get to know what he discovered. Weird thing is that he smoked a cigarette, which he did not light - does anyone smoke like that?? or maybe they did not have fake-smokes, which are now mainly used in film industry now and the actor refused to smoke real cigarette and ruin his health for a movie role like this.

The reason why it mostly is not scary, is that it is too unrealistic! The most horrifying scene for me was the pommel horse, that is a gymnastic apparatus - widely used in school PE classes - at least in East-Europe, Russia and Asia. For me it is a nightmare, because I have baaaaad memories with it. For my friend, most horrifying was Japanese giant centipede, because she does not adore crawling bugs. If you expect anything more scary than this, then you are going to be very-very disappointed,

Only great thing about the movie was that it had a great ending theme =P But it is understandable, because it is Do As Infinty's song "Raven". Watch their music video and you see most of the scenes of the movie, so just watch this instead of the movie, because most of the time I just yawned. With this movie, I certainly do not recommend it to anyone! True horror-friends will hate it and I am not sure if wanting-to-see-some-fail-"horror movie"-to-laugh will help you.

Movie is made after Junji Ito same named manga, but they (FORTUNATELY) have different endings as the manga was on-going while the movie was filmed.
OH MY GYOZA!!! There is a vortex in my juice-glass! On my book tooo!! My friend's fingertips!!!!(I have weird fingertips, there are no spirals in my fingerprints) I AM GOING TO BE OBSESSED BY THE VORTEX!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... -.- yeah, it just sucks. If it were to be able to give any other rating, it would be -10, like the degree outside -.-

Kamikaze Girls (2004)

Country: Japan
Genre: Comedy, friendship, lolita-yankee
Format: movie
Cast: Tsuchiya Anna, Fukuda Kyoko, Abe Sadao, Okada Yoshinori, Miyasako Hiroyuki, Koike Eiko, 
Synopsis: Momoko is a lolita, who sells his father´s old bogus brands to cover her expensive outgoing. One day she meets self-styled "Yankee" Ichigo. Between them bonds a friendship.
Rating: 4/5
It gets one bonus star for being my first Japanese movie and for introducing Japanese movie-industry to me. Even though it is my first Asian movie, I consider "Nobuta wo Produce" as the start of my addiction. I stumbled on the movie by accident on Youtube because I have always had a thing for cute lolita clothes, even though I have never worn them myself.

It´s a really great movie about friendship and of course fabulous lolita-clothes. The main brand "Baby, Stars Shine Bright" is an actual lolita brand, that was founded by Akinori Isobe and his wife Fumiyo. Throughout the movie you can see Momoko wearing lolita clothes, Sweet-Lolita style to be accurate, which means a lot of cuteness and laces.
I love the up-built of the movie. It has interesting start and amazing effects, which make the movie even more interesting. I like that they explain almost everything about Ichigo's and Momoko's life, but it is sad that they did not explain exactly Momoko's attitude. They say that she was like it since she was born, but to me it is inconvenient. But she has amazing sewing skills *jealous*

In addition, they show right emotions at the right time, except that Momoko had almost no feelings (beside her fantasy things). Even though Momoko says she does not need anyone, I think that actually her grandmother played a much important role in her life, than it seemed like. But maybe I think it like this because of my life..  Despite looking like a "small kid" and lacking of social skills, she is extremely smart and educated. Due to influences from Rococco-period, she is into classical music, reading and handcrafts. Fukuda Kyoko is absolutely brilliant in her role.

I knew Tsuchiya Anna before, but I knew her as a singer and voice-actress for "Nana". Ichigo is deliquent, her writing skills are equal to a first grade student. She is equally lacking in social skills, but with the difference that her actions are mostly inappropriate and rude. Compared to Momoko, she has a strong sense of justice and takes her promises seriously. At the same time from her backstory you can see that she once used to be smart average girl, but as a victim of school bullying, she decided to make the change. Ichigo gets on the bad side with her former gang and  Ahh, one thing about Ichigo's name! If someone does not know, then "Ichigo" meaning is "Strawberry", but "Ichiko" is "First child", that's why Ichigo thought that her name is not suitable for her as yankee.

There are many great lines in script, but I do not think they all are true. It is just my personality which does not want to agree with them. For example: "Woman cannot cry in public, always cry alone!" - Actually my mother raised me up with this saying too and for long time I held everything in me, so no-one could see me hurt, but in the end it is too painful. Now (like you have understood it already) I am pretty much a crybaby, though I never cry for stupid reasons! Only when I am hurt or when I see some sad movie.

Second line: "If there is something you like, take it! If there is something you want to do, do it!" - YES! People should be more adventurous, more spontaneity! ..but please obey the laws... it is not that great if you take everything you want or do what you want and end up in jail..
The last one: "Humans are cowards in face of happiness! Humans need courage to face it!" -
It all depends on, "what is happiness?" - if it is love and relationships then it really needs courage, but if it is something small like seeing a butterfly - does watching it needs courage? Yes, if you are afraid of butterflies, but then again, it would not bring happiness, people are supernatural if they work hard on want they want, so if you have big will power and won't give up, there is a high possibility to get what you want.

It is wicked and totally funny movie with many surreal scenes. It might seem to be girlish movie at some moments, but it is totally worth watching as it does not get boring. This movie has so many messages - friendships, broken marriages, bullying, fighting, illnesses, following your dreams, differences between city and country etc. There are so many things in it to what people can relate or find interesting.