BANDAGE (2010)

Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: music, drama
Cast: Akanishi Jin, Kitano Kie, Kora Kengo, Shibamoto Yuki, Kasahara Hideyuki, Kaneko Nobuaki, Watanabe Anne, Ito Ayumi,
Synopsis: It is 1990-s when the Japanese music industry started its boom and many one-hit-bands were created. Asako becomes a fan of a band called LANDS after receiving their CD from her friend Miharu. Girls are struck by luck when they get their opportunity to go back stage to meet with band members after one concert. Natsu, the lead-singer of the band gets attracted to her and starts to drag her to band rehearsals and finally making her assistant manager, but that is not okey with all other band members. LANDS is moving up to their big break and stardom, but music industry dark side, unrequited love, conflicts between members and more make keeping the band together even more difficult. 
Rating: 5/5
When I said that "BECK" is great, then I do not know what to say about "BANDAGE", because it is musically and technically much better than "BECK". I have had it in my watch-list for over 2 years, I think, and the reason why I have not watched it before is that I have love-hate relationship with Akanishi Jin and I have always thought that it is long and boring and very depressing movie, but Gyoza how wrong I was.

I start with my love-hate relationship with Akanishi Jin. I do believe he was the right choice for the role. I find him so similar with Natsu - not seeing his real talent and being too confused. For me, Akanishi can be a real music genius and he has such an amazing voice that captivates me and that all makes it so sad that he has ruined himself. I am not referring to his scandals or choices what he has done - I am able to forgive all that to him - but what he has ruined is his music. Just listen to songs like "Eternal" or "A page" which are his composed and they are great ("Eternal" is even one of my favorite songs ever), but what the ramen are songs like "Califoria rock" and "That what she said.." and other drink-party-sex songs?!! Like seriously the worst thing that a musician can do. ever. EVER.

Natsu has that thinking of sex-drugs&rock'n'roll too, so that after concert he should get drunk and have sex -.- But then again, he has Asako who becomes the person who reminds him the real him as they are very similar by their soul. And with Asako, there comes really cute scenes how he tries to make everything that Asako would finally start to like him and etc, because he is unable to go on without her. They actually do not have any physical relationship and they are hardly a couple, but you can see and feel what Natsu thinks of her. I think that Akanishi is brilliant in Natsu role - he actually does not have so much lines and they do not put in words what he feels, but you can see the suffering and how he seems to drown.

LANDS music gives a new meaning to Asako's life.. actually more it's meeting with Natsu. At first she is just brought along with Natsu, even when she has something else to do, but she ends up becoming his manager. Actually, at first she was more drawn to Yukiya and that is the reason why she does not show any love-interest in Natsu at first. On the other hand, she is not using Natsu to get close to Yukiya, because she is not that kind of girl, but there are moments when each girl is very fragile and we all know that one woman can break up the whole band. Kitano Kie is really sweet in this role. I like how she played out the innocence and you can see Asako's maturing.

I find LANDS really difficult work colleagues, because every member is so individual and charismatic. Arumi first seems a real bitch and she is one of the members who has a very great talent, because she is the one who arranges the songs full and final image. Even though she at times is very full of herself, you can see how she actually is always on the edge of nervous breakdown.

Yukiya is the silent hot guy, who is introvert. He actually likes more robotic voices and electro music. Some more facts about him are in spoiler review. and of course Yukari - the manager who treasures Arumi's and Yukiya's talent more than others. At times, she is a bitch, but she has also problems with her nerves. Nobuaki Kaneko who played the part of Ryuji really played the drumms when they recorded the LANDS album.

Of course the music itself is a real ear-gasm, especially I like "Hatachi no sensou" both versions and "Genki". I also love how the movie develops and how it is built up. It made me watch since the first half second I had pressed the play button. But what else we can expect from Kobayashi Takeshi, the producer of Mr. Children. The movie made live-action movie record with selling 70000 advance tickets on the first day screening.
I feel sad that I did not watch it before, but then again maybe I would not have fully understood it back then. It is a movie, which I at least recommend. :)

SPOILER-review: What I did not notice while watching it, was that Yukiya had a crush on Natsu.. love-like crush. That was the real reason why he was against Asako. For him Natsu was his muse and inspiration of lyrics and guitar riffs and that was a big reason why he was unable to leave from LANDS. Who ever does not get the ending, then after 2 years and 7 months Natsu and Asako meet again and with high possibility of getting back together. I must say that I was kind of a impressed by their fabulous kiss-scene, but then again when I think that we still are talking about Akanishi Jin, then I could not have imagine anything less than they gave me.

Halfway (2010)

Country: Japan
Genre: romance, school
Format: movie
Cast: Kitano Kie, Okada Masaki, Narimiya Hiroki, Naka Riisa, Mizobata Junpei
Synopsis:Hiro (Kitano Kie) and Shu (Okada Masaki) are in last year of high school and they start dating. Their relationship is going to be darkened by the fear and changes of tomorrow as Hiro is going to attend in local university, but Shu has always wished to go to Tokyo.
Rating: 2/5
I have read the original manga. It is amazing how similar the actors are with original characters. For spoiler, the manga and movie have different endings. As it really is a shoujo-manga, then manga has actually unrealistic end, that´s why I liked the movie ending more.

Actors were just great. They totally pulled it off - .^ Specially I liked Kitano Kie, but I did not like her character. Her eyes are amazing.

It is another Kitagawa Eriko´s works. That explains why the movie is just going in a slow-motion. There is no big happenings, mostly about one thing and that´s all. In addition, if you have seen other Kitagawa Eriko´s works, then you should know that the female lead is cry-baby, egoistic and childish. Hiro really cries a lot... it is not even crying, it is whining like a baby! (But it is understandable, when it is a baby, but for 17-18 year old girl it is really childish.). (BTW. If you think that I just do not like Kitagawa´s work, then wait til Sunao ni Narenakute review or read it, and you might change your mind. It seems like they have used hand-camera for filming and there is very few montage done, many raw cuts and it is very documentary-like. In some ways it is really fascinating, but it doesn´t work for that story. It seems like you are entering to someones personal life.

The reason why it did not get higher rating is that it was tooo slow and I did not enjoyed it. I just do not understand how can one girl be so childish!!!
I totally love Narimiya Hiroki and Naka Riisa (They acted together in "Yankee-kun to Megane-chan"), but sadly they did not have any screentime together this time. They both are still so great ^^ I would like to see them acting together more. They have a chemistry on screen ^^