Cyborg She (2008)

Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: time-travel, romance, sci-fi
Cast: Koide Keisuke, Ayase Haruka, Kiritani Kenta, Ai Risa, Ebisu Yoshikazu,Tanaka Kei, Endo Kenichi, Ibu Masato, Yoshitaka Yuriko, Yoshiyuki Kazuko, Taguchi Hiromasa, Takenata Naoto,   
Synopsis: Jiro has always celebrated his birthday alone, eating spaghetti's in a restaurant and buying himself a present. It's all until he meets one of a kind girl who wakes him from his boring life, but as soon as she came, she also leaves. One year later she comes to him again, but only now he gets to know that she is actually a cyborg sent to him by his future self in order to keep him alive.
Rating: 2/5
"Cyborg She" is counted as one of the best movies in Japan, so I had really big hopes for it, but in reality I only got disappointed a bit. "Cyborg She" is the last movie of "Sassy Girl trilogy".

Gokusen the movie (2009)

Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: school, youth
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Kamenashi Kazuya, Miura Haruma, Takaki Yuya, Miura Shohei, Ishiguro Hideo, Nakama Junta, Kiriyama Akito, Namase Katsuhisa, Utsui Ken, Kaneko Ken, Anan Kenji, Waki Tomohiro, Koike Teppei, Koide Keisuke, Hayami Mokomichi, Oguri Shun, Narimiya Hiroki, Ichigaki Yuma, Sawamura Ikki, Tamamori Yuta, Kaku Kento, Irie Jingi, Morisaki Win, Ochiai Motoki
Synopsis: Yankumi has a new class, the former 2D, but guys still do not trust her. At the same time Odagiri Ryu become a teacher-in-training under Yankumi in Akadou. The last 3D has graduated some time ago and is finding his place in life and in their workplaces, but suddenly Kazama becomes involved with dangerous underground world, which makes everyone, especially Yankumi, worried.
Rating: 4/5
Read previous seasons reviews here: first, second, third
The movie is the best way to put an end to Gokusen series. It is heartwarming and final. It would be ruined if there would have been any more than it.
For the first time Yankumi has the chance to show that she meant her words when she said that she

will always be the teacher for her students, until now we have only seen her being updated with Kuma's doings. I just thought and understood that from all my teachers only my middle school teacher is updated of everyone's doings, but she was the closest to us too.

Gokusen (2005)

SEASON 2

Country: Japan
Format: 10 episodes
Genre: school, youth
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Kamenashi Kazuya, Akanishi Jin, Koike Teppei, Koide Keisuke, Hayami Mokomichi, Namase Katsuhisa, Utsui Ken, Kaneko Ken, Uchiyama Shinji, Anan Kenji, Tanihara Shosuke, Waki Tomohiro, Otoha, Inoue Jun, Azuma Mikihisa, Mizushima Hiro, Kawamura Yosuke, Nakamura Yuichi, Miura Ryosuke
Synopsis: It has been 3 years since Yankumi’s first students graduated and through accident Yankumi becomes a teacher at Kurogin High school. Her new homeroom 3D is again full of delinquents, who face fights, troubles, misunderstanding and possibility of expulsion everyday. With only 3 months left until graduating Yankumi must give her all to guide her students to the right path.  
Rating: 4/5
Read the first season review here!
Like some other viewers I had fears that second season might not be so good or I do not start to like the guys as much as I liked in the first season. Fortunately, just look at the cast, how can I not love them! Now I know that I had no reason to worry, because "Gokusen" stays "Gokusen". 

Surely Someday (2010)

Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: drama, life&death, friendship, yakuza
Cast: Koide Keisuke, Katsuji Ryo, Ayano Gou, Suzuki Ryohei, Muro Tsuyoshi, Konishi Manami, Yokota Eiji, Yoshida Kotaru, Endo Kenichi, small roles: Inoue Mao, Otake Shinobu, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Ueto Aya (cameo), Oguri Shun
Synopsis: Five childhood friends (Takumi, Kyohei, Kazuo, Shuto, Yuki) form a rock band to perform in the upcoming cultural festival. Once the festival is cancelled, they threaten to  blow up the school. Even though the adults agree with their terms, they are unable to stop the homemade bomb. Three years later fate brings them together in order to help Kazuo, who had joined the yakuza, search for the prostitute they used to know and the 300 million yen she stole from him.
Rating: 4/5
It is Oguri Shun´s first directed movie. I had my prejudice because of Oguri Shun, but believe me -

 I think I have never misunderstood someone as much I have him and his talent. This is a different style of movie - I think that it has many great things put together - music, fun and serious underground. Mostly I like it because it is another movie where absolutely everything is related to  each other.
I do not have much to say about each character, so I will mention them later. The movie shows their life 3 years after the bomb incident and also there are scenes from their memories of the school time and from childhood. All they really wanted to do was to perform at cultural festival, well in the childhood Takumi just wanted to meet Misa and know more about her. I know that their way of handling things was wrong, but even more I think that many things just ran together.

The main person who made things to flow, was Takumi - he had a difficult relationship with his father due to ruining his career. Also Takumi was the one who came up with the bomb idea, but of course he did not want anything to do with gun powder in it. Koide Keisuke is amazing in this role. I feel like he gets hotter with years and I love his singing in the movie. Kyohei is the virgin, who makes Yuki put some gunpowder into the bomb - that gives him scruples for the three years as no one has spoken to Yuki since then.  There was only one minus of the story, which was connected to Kyohei´s character. The scene where he was made to "suck it", was filmed in a wrong way and actually Kyohei should have had horrible remorse and feeling of dieing (he a little bit had, but not enough). I have seen one film where the same kind scene is and it is filmed so well that it makes you very sick - besides in that movie the character decides to kill himself and the one who made him do it, because his remorse did not allow to live anymore.

 Like you understood, Yuki was the one who made the bomb - he is the least shown in the movie. Nothing more to say about Kazuo than he did not thought enough and really made excuse out of his sister. Shuto was aiming to become a real musician and all women fell for him by having a eye contact with him for 5 seconds - it happened to me through computer screen too, because Ayano Gou has sooooo beautiful eyes!!! One really important character is Misa who is connected to guys for years. Her story is so sad, because all she wanted was happiness and that someone could love her. Stupid Ijima (crazy yakuza boss) ruined her life.
At some points I was screaming that it cannot just happen so (A bit similar to "Troubleman), it is horrible when someone does not have luck at all and at the same time he is very lucky to survive everything.

The OST of the movie is great and you can see that Oguri Shun had thought through every single thing in it and that made it really good. You can feel that it was not something that was made for fun, but that it was serious work after long time thinking and organizing. I like the fact that the filming and the whole movie was kept in secret until it was finished and ready to show to viewers - that shows that Oguri Shun did not want to fail with it. It was a smart move to take widely-known actors like Inoue Mao, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Otake Shinobu, Ueto Aya into minor roles and even Oguri Shun himself acted for 30 seconds as a policeman.
I recommend to watch this movie when the possibility arises, because it is great.

Party wa owatta (2011)

Country: Japan
Genre: romance, fantasy, life
Format: keitai-drama in 5 or 6 episodes, later made into movie for cinemas
Cast: Naka Riisa, Koide Keisuke, Narimiya Hiroki, Nakayama Kento, Takaoka Sousuke, Hayashi Kento, 
Synopsis: Asakura Toake (Naka Riisa) is a mangaka, whose recent mangas lack of romance. Her friend Takeo dragges her to Onikawa Norihiko's (Koide Keisuke) party - a famous young mangaka, who had just sold 1 million copies of his most famous manga. Asakura sees 4 different men, who make her imagination run.
Rating: 5/5

I so love Naka Riisa. I believe she is my favourite actress - she is just so talented. It is kinda hard drama to review, but I´ll try my best. Toake is one of a kind =D I love her dress and heels so much, but it was clearly seen that Toake was not used to wear high heels (Naka Riisa knows how to walk in high heels actually, that's why she had to walk like she halts) Her imagination is actually all based on logical assumptions, but I like that she draws so quickly and clearly her manuscripts. Onikawa Norihiko (Koide Keisuke) seemed like a selfish, narcissistic bastard. From this point I´ll go with the review as it happens in drama...

"Painted desire" - Here the male-lead is Narimiya Hiroki! (Another favourite actor!) I soooooooo love NarixNaka pairing - they have a great on-screen and off-screen chemistry. Well, Togawa Yuubi is an artist, whose paintings are ahead of his time.  In some way I liked his paintings, but I would not buy them in any cost. It looked like he used the "bad colors", there are one green color and blue (violet) which are called "poison colors". He had so much colors, but he still used only those.

I really wish them good luck with getting that painting off from the clothes and skin - as oil-paint is not soluble in water. Last year I took oil-painting classes so I know it =D Oil-paint just wants strong solvent and time xD (In my first class I tried to wash a spot of green paint of my hands and I ended up with being covered by this paint, so my teacher had to clean my hands as I was unable to touch anything xD) Yeah, playing with expensive colors can be romantic and sweet in movies, but in reality it is foolish thing to do - use acrylic colors instead =D Toake is Yuubi's girlfriend in this episode and she is pushing his back to try new things, but more than Yuubi, Toake is sacrificing her everything. It has an amazing punch-line in the end and even bigger when Toake comes back to reality and Yuubi turns into Yoshinori. 

"Breaking-up desire" - Over-emotional Musashi, who cries about everything. The korean movie they are watching is "Someday, somewhere, I love you", but I cannot find out if it truly exists or not. Still the movie looks epic for me.  Naka Riisa looks even more beautiful in it! I think that Musashi is too manipulative and a real cry-baby. For Gyoza sake, be a man!!  I would to dump a guy like that too, but I wonder why she ever started to date him, when they were this different. I think that she should have talked more, but she thought that Musashi tries to change her or loves the image of Toake which he has had in his head. I liked how they actually changed during the episode and actually started to understand each other more. The toe-scene was disgusting O.o One fact about Hakone - they really sell those eggs that add 7 years to your life, but they sell 5 eggs in one pack. XD

"Dying desire" - it was so scary! I did not see the love-line in it, but it was interesting and I loved how the scenes were made. When she starts to sing this song, at first it is funny, but later it turns scary too! It made me want to know the end faster, but some scenes reminded me USA movie "The house of wax". People, who have seen it know what I mean. It is true that it is not a good idea to be too curious as curiosity can kill. I actually knew the reality of this episode since the start. The man did not have name in it.

"Holding desire" - In three first episodes, Toake was the normal and sweet one, but in it  - I think that Toake has some serious mental issues. It remind "Kimi wa Petto" as she took the man to her house. I wonder if there would be any woman in the world who would take some totally stranger man from the street to her apartment/ house and wash him and starts to live with him? (I understand if it is some kind of ikemen as Jang Geun Suk or Matsuyama Jun, but Hayashi Kento with that long hair looked like a beggar). One more thing - never lie to a person, who has amnesia!  It is not a smart thing to do as most of the times the amnesia goes by after time. It looked like Toake wanted to make him her life-sized doll even though Hayashi Kento really looks like one O.o  At some points it was too scary!

"Desire and regrets" - it was fuuuking funny! From one moment I was like "WHAT THE RAMEN??! Vamipire? Hitting trucks? What IS IT??!!". Well my sister told me "Koide Keisuke is the hottest vampire I have ever seen - "Twilight - you suck!" xD Well it is true, as this episode seemed to parody all vampire-movies which were so popular.  It was very theatrical - I had a feeling that I was watching a filmed theatre performance. The dance was the most epic ever! I actually knew from the start why Toake really thought this way xD
The real end of the movie was amazing =) It made me think of what was real in this movie and what was not as sometimes the imagination can surpass the reality. The nub in the end was scary too XD
The movie is a mix of all movies, that's why it has all emotions and moods. It should really suit for everybody and it has truly amazing cast.

Kimi ni Shika kikoenai (2007)

Also known as: Calling You; Only you can hear this voice
Country: Japan
Genre: romance, friendship, human
Format: movie
Cast: Koide Keisuke, Narumi Riko, Hada Mika, Katase Nana
Synopsis: Ryo (Narumi Riko) is a silent high school girl, who finds it hard to communicate with others. That´s why she has no-one to talk to. On one day she creates a mobile phone in her head, but for her surprise, it is picked up  on the other side by a boy called Shinya (Koide Keisuke).
Rating: 2/5

It is really beautiful  movie, but at the same time you can find similar things from other movies or dramas. (In some ways it reminds me "Il Mare" or USA version of it "The Lake house", because of the time differences and all). I did not like the fact that it mostly was about one thing, that´s why, it looked like it will last forever. It seriously is the slowest movie ever. Many times it does not have any soundtrack at all, expect for cicadas sound.

If you start to think about it, isn't it scary if a toy-phone starts to work this way??! O.o But actually, their "Mind-phones" are called telepathy. At first I thought that Shinya really is her imagination.  I started to think that if those mental phones would be real, then what would happen? I sure would like to have free calls XD

But some words about characters. Ryou was so annoying to me.. I am not a fan of people who are too shy, hesitating and afraid of everything. She was really slow and many times depressive. I know that being back-stabbed by your friends at early age is painful (been there, felt that), but you just must have self-belief that you are better than any of these guys! I liked that she started to change with the time they are talking to each other. NB! she does not look like, she has not practised piano for years. When she stopped playing in 2 class, then normally she would have forgotten most of the things by that time.

I cannot say anything much about Shinya, because he did not talk much and movie mostly concentrates on Ryou. Koide Keisuke has a nice smile - that I can tell =P He had cute ideas (like long-distance date) and all his personality was sweet. I liked his grandma, because she always wore kimonos =P
I like Nagano scenery - sooo beautiful! I know that many many people like that movie really much, so watch it and then decide! It is slow, has one story-line and is hard to follow because of the time difference, but it has something sweet in it.

SPOILER review: I do not understand if really no-one knew how to give first-aid?? Okey, they called ambulance and Ryou was by his side, but they should have at least tired to check any serious damages or at least is he breathing still... I know he moved, but still! This movie goes to a list "Worst dyeing scene ever"!  like tooooooo fake!           If someone did not understand then Harada was actually Ryou, but 10 years later. Also in the end, you see that people cannot change the past (except if you are Kenzo from "Proposal Daisakusen")

Tada kimi wo aishiteru (2006)

Also known as: Heavenly forest
Country: Japan
Genre: romance
Format: movie
Cast: Miyazaki Aoi, Tamaki Hiroshi, Kuroki Meisa, Uehara Misa, Koide Keisuke,
Synopsis: Makoto and Shizuru go to the same course in university and they become really good friends. For the birthday present Shizuru wants to have a picture of two of them kissing. After that Shizuru is gone from Makoto´s life. 
Rating: 3/5
I warn you from the start that I wrote more negative things about this movie, but still it is considered as one of the most romantic and best love-movies.... I think everyone tastes are so different - some love this movie, some hate and people like me are neutral..

At first I found it really slow, boring and annoying, but since the part they start to be house buddies, it gets funnier, faster and better. It seems as if the story finally starts running..I like when movies are made liked memories - you can see some scenes of the end at first, then the memories part and finally the real end. It makes it more interesting. More than that, the scenery is magical! I want to go to the forest like this too - especially because this place makes me want to pick up my pencils and paint again. So the technical side of the movie is great, but now to the bad side...
I do not like any character. Like really no-one.. They do not act the way it is normal for their age as they more seemed like 12 not over 20!  I know, there are things that "Try" to explain their behavior but for me they totally fail to give appropriate reasons to their actions.
Tamaki Hiroshi has a great English, which is one of the best things in it, but the character he plays is rather annoying. He takes everything to seriously, except Shizuru. Many times he did not get the jokes and when someone was serious, he thought it was funny. It feels as if he does not understand all the situations nor has his own opinion about things. Also I did not understand his skin-disease. Usually this kind of things go away after some time of medication?

And then Shizuru.. To start with her, I would like to say she is WEIRD, but she says in the movie too that "she is not weird, she is just "very original""... yeah.. weird, it is not her appearance that makes me say that (even though it would have been better if she had washed her hair and do something about her clothes), but the main reason are her thoughts and her views on life. Her way of thinking was pretty childish and naive. I know, sometimes we all see too much in things where is nothing, but her thoughts were exaggeration in every direction. She was the one who pushed herself on Makoto, he did absolutely nothing and she imagined everything already. She kinda a felt like psycho.. I do not understand her way of thinking at all. but if you want to hear positive thing, then Miyazaki Aoi actually looks so beautiful and cute, when you remove her glasses, so I hope you will watch the movie til the end to see it. Miyazaki Aoi's acting is great, but her character is too annoying for me to like her.

I believe that I should write some things about the last, but very important character too. Miyuki, played by Kuroki Meisa, was definitely wedding-addicted. Sadly mostly this kind of women do not marry at all or marry too much. I am afraid that she is the one who will only dream about it - mostly because she is able to wear a wedding dress before wedding - I consider it as a bad omen. Most men are afraid to date girls who are too wedding-directed. There is nothing much about Miyuki, but I hope that she managed to have her perfect wedding. Kuroki Meisa is beautiful as always, but she is the same as always too. I praised her much in "Dance Subaru", but this time I find that her only advantage is her appearance - that explains why she is/was that great model, but her acting skills... sorry, Kuroki Meisa, I do not see you as great actress.
I forgot to mention before that I loved Shizuru's photos a lot. I always feel connected to black and white photos and people. There is something intimate about them, so at least Shizuku's so-called "work" paid off and earned at least one point.
I think it is the first sad movie, even though I did not cry. Maybe it was because I was not that into it or that my sister is perfect when it comes to ruining sad scenes. And like the movie ended, I will end too. THAT FAKE BIRD IS TOOO HILARIOUS!
Even ramen would have been a better bird" by Yanne

Koizora the movie (2007)

Country: Japan
Genre: romance, drama, human
Format: movie
Cast: Miura Haruma, Aragaki Yui, Koide Keisuke, Haru, Usuda Asami, Karina, Nakamura Aoi
Synospsis:  Tahara Mika (Aragaki Yui) loses her cellphone, she finds it from liberary with all contacts deleted. From that they she starts communicating with mysteriuos caller, who had found her phone. The caller turns out to be Hiro (Miura Haruma), guy with bleached hair from another class.
Rating: 2/5
It is said to be more accurate to the real story than drama, but I did not like it very much. It all went to fast. Even though it had a great cast, I enjoyed drama cast more. I am not impressed by Aragaki Yui acting and it would be better if Miura Haruma NEVER bleaches his hair. Actually I was pretty depressed for this being a first time I saw Miura Haruma acting, because he is a great actor and so on (I love him in "Kimi ni todoke"), but here.. it just isn´t his best role.
I like the fact that Haru, who plays here Aya, plays the part of Saki (Hiro´s ex-girlfriend) in drama version. I like her in Saki role more.
I almost gave it only one star and that was for the story itself, but finally I decided to give another star. If there is someone who does not want to watch 6 hours drama, then they can watch the whole story in 2 hours, but I have to say that they are pretty different!! So it is best to watch both of them and then decide, which they like better.