Dakishimetai (2014)

Also known as: I just wanna hug you
Counrty: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: drama, true life
Cast: Nishikido Ryo, Kitagawa Keiko, Kamiji Yusuke, Saito Takumi, Hirayama Aya, Sato Eriko, Sato Megumi, Kubota Masataka, Kunimura Jun, Fubuki Jun,
Synopsis: Yamamoto Tsukasa is left into wheelchair after car accident at age 17. She is still suffering form the aftereffects, but she is trying to live her life as fullest as she can. She meets with taxi driver Koyanagi Masaki and they fall in love. Despite all the difficulties they decide to create their own happy family.
Rating: 4/5
I was a bit disappointed with the movie, but I give credit for one of the sweetest kiss scenes I have ever seen. The movie is based on true events and there was a documentary on real couple in 2011.

Soushite chichi ni naru (2013)

Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: family
Cast: Fukuyama Masaharu, Lily Franky, Maki Yoko, Ono Machiko, Ninomiya Keita, Shogen Hwang, Kunimura Jun, Kiki Kirin, Natsuyagi Isao, Fubuki Jun,
Synopsis: Nonomiya family consists of successful businessman Ryota, sweet and caring housewife Midori and their son Keita. Idyllic life of Ryota is broken with a phone call from the hospital were Keita was born with a message that "their son" was changed after birth and they have been raising someone's else child for 6 years. They meet with Saiki family - father Yudai who is  carefree small electronic shop owner, down-to-earth Yukari, Nonomiya's real son Ryusei and Saiki's two younger children. The families must face the difficult decision whether blood-ties or time spent with child is more important.
Rating: 5/5
This movie has gone through many many film festivals and has won Jury prize on Cannes Film festival. It is talking about really delicate subject and it made me think about many many things.

Juui Dolittle (2010)

Country: Japan
Format: drama in 9 episodes
Genre: veterinary, friendship
Cast: Oguri Shun, Narimiya Hiroki, Inoue Mao, Fujisawa Ema, Kasahara Hideyuki, Suda Masaki, Ishizaka Koji, Kunimura Jun, guests: Masuda Takahisa, Kuninaka Ryoko, Saotame Taichi, Kaho etc
Synopsis: Tottori Kenichi (Oguri Shun) is not the friendliest person, but he is the best veterinarian in Japan. He keeps saying that veterinary is business and makes people understand the true meaning of being pet's owner. After operating Tajima Asuka's (Inoue Mao) horse, she is made to help out at the clinic to pay back for surgery.  There is also a great friend, charismatic veterinarian Hanabishi Masaru (Narimiya Hiroki) who is unable to carry out an operation.
Rating: 3/5
 I was surprised by "Juui Dolittle" - I do not know why, but I thought that it will be totally different, so it is really great that it was able to overcome my expectations. It has been in my "watch-list" ever since it aired on TBS, which is almost 2,5 years, so it was about time to finally watch it. I even remember how I kept watching their updates on official page, because they had so cute animals on the set all the time. (I am a big animal lover - I actually grew up in a farm with many animals)

Oguri Shun was really cool in it, because I think that he suits into those "tsundere" character rolls with his big growth and suitable face. Tottori Kenichi is most of the time really cold and his fees are reaaaaaalllly high, but at the same time you can see his hidden love towards animals. I also felt that his coldness is caused by other people ignorance toward their pets, because there are so many people abandoning their pets or not taking good care of them. He also has many secrets, because he is a man of few words, but I also felt that they gave us too less information about him to understand him 100%.  

Tajima Asuka is a novice in veterinary. She is really cute character, because she is not annoying or useless and she gives her best to help animals at clinic. Of course there are mistakes, but it is understandable because she has never done anything like that before. They have put in some hints on love-line between her and Tottori, but the biggest impact goes on animals. As you might think already, then you can see more Asuka's emotions than Tottori's. Another thing I thought before watching it was that she will have some kind of love-line with Hanabishi, which would have caused much jealousy, but it did not happen.  But I was most surprised by the fact that Hanabishi Masaru and Tottori were friends.. :D

I do not know why I thought they are rivals - as you can see I do not read others reviews or all synopsis' before watching. I really liked Hanabishi because he was willing to do everything in order to save animals, even though he did not perform operations himself. He was really appealing and wanted the best, but for me it all made his over-priced car funnier. He has the biggest problems and difficulties in the drama, all due to the lie about operating. He is the only veterinarian who officially acknowledges Tottori's outstanding skills and because they were university buddies he is the one person who understands Tottori, which is really cute.

From other characters I really liked Domon Junpei at first, but Domon family is the most annoying part of the drama. No matter how they all make really selfish things and manipulate with others, so they just got on my nerves. I do not like veterinarians who are out for fame and money or do not bother to make extra researches to find out pet's illness. Of course there are some annoying ones more within "costumers" and their selfish thoughts. Another thing that I did not enjoy in this drama was those fake animal capes! Some of them were tooooo fake and that was not pretty. I understand that making a drama with animals is difficult and especially in those scenes it would have been inconceivable to use living animals, but they could have done a better job with capes.

If we leave out the annoying family and fake capes, then it is a really sweet drama that makes you treasure your pets, there could have been more constant action between three main characters, because, it is said that this drama should be about main characters friendship, which I got to know after I had searched for real synopsis after watching it. Do not know how much it was about friendship and how much it was about owner-pet relationships, but I will leave it up to you to decide.

My darling is a foreigner (2010)

Also known as:  Is he turning Japanese?
Country: Japan
Genre: romance, international,
Format: movie
Cast: Inoue Mao, Johathan Sherr, Kuninaka Ryoko, Toda Naho, Kunimura Jun, Otake Shinobu, Kawaoka Daijiro, Dante Carver, Irie Masato, Bando Takumi, Patrick Harlan,
Synopsis: Saori, an aspiring manga artist, meets Tony, a man, who has arrived Japan after falling  in love with the Japanese kanji. As the couple gets closer and closer, more questions start to arise: can their love survive their cultural differences? Can others around them acknowledge them as a couple?
Rating: 4/5
I liked that it is the perfect movie for people who are worried about their so-called intercultural (future) marriage.

Saori is a Japanese woman who tries to become a mangaka. She is in love with Tony, but she does not speak much English, which puts her into many unpleasant situations. At first I found Inoue Mao's pronunciation horrible, but later it was bearable! She makes a great question "Boyfriend or just a friend - that is the question.." - just agree, we all have thought about it! She is kind of occupied with her work and crazy-thought-that-he-might-leave-her-when-she-shows-out-unpleasant-mode, but actually she is pushing Tony far away by being shut up.

Tony on the other hand is naive and sometimes childish. He is very sensitive and does not get jokes easily. I enjoyed Tony usage of Japanese phrases and he had a great Japanese pronunciation. Also he asks many "weird" questions - most Japanese even do not think about them, but they actually are quite common for foreigners =D As he was foreigner then all this acknowledging by family is easier, I find that it is for most of people who does not come from very traditional country background, but the more important is for them to be accept by their lover's family. That's why Tony wanted to stick with "known" Japanese rules. and most Japanese want their families to give their permission for marriage and stuff.

I loved that the movie showed in the end that their problems were not because they are from two different countries, but they had all "normal and usual" relationship problems, which all people have. By the way, they must have had much money, because buying this house and garden in Japan is more than expensive.
Even though, parents were kind of annoying at first, in the end they were normal. I think it is with most parents - they say one thing, but act other way and then expect us to follow by their words, even when their words might ruin our happiness xD okey, that was a bit beyond the reality, but still. All prejudges can be killed by getting to know the person.
I most liked that they had put in documentary interviews with people from the street, who are also in intercultural marriages. I was annoyed by the fact that they all were Japanese woman X foreigner man couples, because there are also otherway couples - I mean Japanese man X foreigner woman, which I hope will be my future, because I will not stay on this small cold country forever. In addition, Saori's imaginary animations were cool.
I  thought it would be a little bit funnier, but at times it was rather boring. I know, it is based on true story of Soari and Tony, who are said to be still happily married =D Wish them happily ever after and hopefully I will have that great future too xD