Sad, tragic, heartbreaking, deep – these are the words I can think of after watching this Japanese film. You might think this is just the typical photographer and model love story who fell in love with each other after working together but as the movie progresses, the film shows its true colors.

This film is about Yuka, an amateur model who has big dreams and an amateur photographer named Koyamada who is yet to discover his personal style. As the two began working with each other, the two started to date and all that stuff but as the film reaches the end of the first part, everything goes dark as you get to know the truth about what has happened so far. Yep, the movie is divided into parts which means a messy timeline but hey, it works. As each secret gets uncovered, watching this film will make you really, really frustrated because you are not just dealing with one point of view but two – Yuka's and Koyamada's. I honestly don't know what to feel when I was watching this. It's like I'm being torn. I think the main feat of this film – why everything works – is how real it is. The events and how the characters are tied with each event will make you think about what possibly happens behind the scenes in this world we live in, which is pretty much heartbreaking. You'll know what I mean when you watch it. Also, the way each scene was shot definitely adds a certain depth to each moment. For a non-creative person, it's definitely an A+!

The truth is, when I finished the film, I honestly wished I didn't get to the end. I mean, it was just so sad and tragic. Until now, it still breaks my heart especially for Yuka. But yeah, that's how life went for them and I have no say in that. Still, it's just so sad!!! And three exclamation point means I'm serious.

Anyway, I didn't get to watch a lot of movies in 2020 but for me, this is one of the best films that got released that year so you definitely have to watch it. It's deep, sad, tragic and heartbreaking. Watch it and you'll know what I mean.

PS. I don't want to spoil so I purposely left out the details about the things that happened in the film. Heh.

PPS. If you're not comfortable with explicit scenes, do take note that this film has that.

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This 2010 Japanese drama (wow, it's been 10 years already?) involves Daichi, a yankee (a delinquent) who got mistaken for being the legendary yankee called Hurricane Ada after an incident in the past and Ada, the megane girl (a girl wearing glasses) , who concealed her past as the real Hurricane Ada by being the class president.

Mistaken as the legendary yankee, Daichi always find himself in a fight until one day, Ada showed up and helped him. After that, Daichi unexpectedly got caught up on Ada's business, to the point that he even got appointed as the vice-president of the student council. The series highlights the importance of family and friendship. If you're easily moved, you better have your handkerchief right beside you. Of course, there is romance involved. This is a rom-com after all. I can say is that, the romance is pretty laidback which is good, at least for me, because I didn't have to force myself to sit through cringe-worthy scenes. In fact, I actually enjoyed the romance part! I guess it's because it's not your typical shoujo drama where the female MC can't do anything else but cry.

When you watch Yankee-kun to Megane-chan, you'll feel like you're watching the anime series because of the way they exaggerate their expressions, in a funny way. Some may find it cringe-y if they haven't watched any anime turned live action before but it's tolerable so I suggest you still give it a chance. It's really fun and funny as well. I'm sure you won't regret it.

There is one complain though. They should've done another season where they focus more on the romance side. The ending was satisfying but my brain was literally looking for more romance. Still, this series sits at the top of my list and I'll never get tired of recommending this one. Trust me. This is pure gold.

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Judging from the title and the movie poster (the scene which happened to be my favorite part of the movie), you can already get a grasp of what the movie will be about. Shoplifters by Koreeda Hirokazu in a nutshell is about a family that steals together and stays together.

What I like about this movie is that even if you know for a fact that theft is something that deserves to be punished, you will not be able to stop yourself from rooting for this family because the movie appeals to the audience by highlighting the unfairness that happens within the society, not just in the movie but also in real life.

It also challenges the idea of “family” that the society has set, as you witness the truth unfold in front of your eyes. I must say that the plot twist of this movie is something that I have never seen so far that it totally left me scratching my head and gasping for air. The constant switching from one character to another, showing the truth behind each character with a close-up shot and how it chose to reveal itself in a fast-paced manner is something I also want to mention. It really was a brilliant approach to tackle the climax as it puts the audience on the edge of their seats, just like the characters. And the fact that the movie did not forget to drop hints here and there but still manage to the leave its audience in awe, proves that Shoplifters is a movie of a different caliber. It’s a movie that will make you feel hooked until all you can see is a reflection of yourself trying to process everything that just happened. Also, don't forget it's A+ cinematography.

If you sum it all up, you won't even be surprised to know that the movie won the Palme d’Or, which is the highest award in the Cannes Film Festival.

Shoplifters is a masterpiece. Koreeda Hirokazu is a genius and I'm definitely going to watch his upcoming films.

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If you ask me what one word would best describe this whole series, I'd pick wild without even batting an eye because it really is. Kyou Kara Ore Wa! is an action-packed series that will send you crying out of laughter. If you're into slapstick comedy, this will definitely be your favorite.

The show features our two main leads who after graduating middle school decided to be reborn by changing their hairstyle. Their boring life suddenly turned into an action-packed one as both of them made their own resolution to become the best delinquent in Japan with their new hairstyles. New hair, new life indeed. We've met a lot of strongest student in highschool already but have you ever met a delinquent who doesn't even know how to be a delinquent? For me, this is a fresh approach to this kind of genre. And the main reason why this show is funny as hell. The way the two tries to exaggerate their way of speaking just to sound delinquent enough still gets me every single time. The actors really did a great job at re-enacting every scene like it was straight out of manga especially the facial expressions. If you're familiar with manga turned live-actions before, I am sure you're familiar already on how actors must exaggerate their expressions but since this is a comedy show, it works very well especially when it's our blonde delinquent who does it. All his expressions are just pure gold I'm already laughing just by thinking of it. I don't plan on spoiling anything though so I'll stop right here but trust me, you will burst into laughter while watching this. There are jokes that might turn you off though so you can just skip those. You should note though that it's a remake from a 90s manga and jokes like that were pretty common during that time. Sad fact.

If we talk about the cinematography, I must say it's pretty decent. The long shots are beautiful and it captures the mood perfectly especially on the later part of the series where the story has deepened. The camera-work really didn't have to go all out but it still did anyway. If you're soft-hearted, you might cry because of the way the scenes were shot. I don't have much to say about the music because it's just your typical comedy drama. For me, it's enough that the sound directors knows what and when to add for each scene. It worked well and it helped the show become extra fun especially when it's the delinquent duo's time to shine.

Overall, the show is really fun. To tell you the truth, it's one of my personal favorites. Don't expect something serious though because you won't get it here. This is for people whose goal is to just laugh and have fun.

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