Tag: review

The Great Passage / 舟を編む (2013) – Movie Review

, , I Like It, Reviews1 Comment on The Great Passage / 舟を編む (2013) – Movie Review
The Great Passage Movie Poster
The Great Passage Movie Poster

As I was looking through the list of recordings on the DVR, I came across “The Great Passage (舟を編む)” on TV Japan which Mariko must have recorded. I saw that it had subtitles so I decided to give it a go, and I am glad I did. It was a great movie, and I was captivated by the characters and story. It’s about a team of editors who are working on a new dictionary called The Great Passage. As you might expect of a story about a dictionary it’s not action-packed, however, the character development is interesting to watch and the acting was superb. The friendship between Majime (Ryuhei Matsuda) and Masashi (Joe Odagiri) is fun to watch (Odagiri is so funny) and the love story was charming, although it was only a sub-plot.

The story is set in Tokyo, starting in the year 1995. They did a good job recreating the style of the era, with accurate clothing and hairstyles. It was very natsukashii for me since I lived there from 1996. I guess that is another reason I really enjoyed the movie. It made me miss Japan and I can’t wait to live there again. But that actually happens so much when I watch Japanese movies or tv. I guess that is why I am addicted to shows that feature everyday life in Japan.

On this relaxing evening, I was in the mood for a movie just like The Great Passage. If you have the means, I highly recommend watching it. Oh, in other news, I just became Aoi Miyazaki‘s biggest fan!

My rating: 8/10

The Great Passage official site

Sputnik Sweetheart

, , I Like It, ReviewsLeave a Comment on Sputnik Sweetheart
Sputnik Sweetheart
Sputnik Sweetheart Paperback

I finished a book! I feel like I am on a roll! Haruki Murakami has been one of my favorite authors for a long time; I think I started reading his books in 1994, starting with Dance Dance Dance and Wild Sheep Chase. My latest Murakami read is Sputnik Sweetheart, which is typical Murakami (a good thing!). It’s got a flawed but likable main character, a mysterious friend, elusive romance, and a little mysticism thrown in. I don’t have too much to say about the actual details, but I will say that I loved the ending!

*SPOILER ALERT*

I thought for sure that Sumire would be lost forever and K would kind of just go on with his life, so when Sumire called K at the end of the story, I was really happy! How unexpected!

I also enjoyed the setting of Greece. I recently finished Murakami’s “What I Talk About when I Talk About Running” and in it he talks about running the original marathon route in Greece. I am guessing his time there is connected to writing of Sputnik Sweetheart. The hot, dry climate and intense sun painted an amazing picture that gave Sputnik Sweetheart a truly immersive experience. I loved it!

North Face “Router” Backpack (2014) Review

, , , , , Slice of Life, TravelingLeave a Comment on North Face “Router” Backpack (2014) Review

North Face Router BackpackPhoto info: SONY SLT-A77V, 26mm, f/5, 1/25 sec, ISO1600

I finally got a backpack that I am pretty sure I will keep for a long, long time! It’s the North Face “Router” backpack in Cosmic Blue/Asphalt Grey. There is so much about this model that makes it perfect for me. But first let me tell you about my backpack saga…

Not too long ago, I had two backpacks. One of them was a real backpacking pack, the REI Flash 65. I used it to go on a short backpacking camping trip where we had to hike to the campground carrying all of our gear and food. This pack fit me perfectly and served me well. But, I haven’t gone backpacking since then! So, it’s been sitting in my closet for a couple of years. Through the magic of Craigslist I sold that backpack to someone who could actually use it.

My other, more useful backpack was the North Face Base Camp Hot Shot which I loved and used often. The problem with it was that Continue reading “North Face “Router” Backpack (2014) Review”

Rocky

, I Like It, ReviewsLeave a Comment on Rocky

Rocky

Last night I watched “Rocky”, the classic 1976 movie which surprisingly I had never seen before. When I was growing up, this movie was so popular, but I think I might have been too young at the time to be into it. I would have been 8, after all. Later on, I think I saw a couple of the sequels, but never the original. So I rented the blu-ray from Netflix and watched it last night and liked it! It was kind of cool to see a young Sylvester Stallone. He was a pretty good actor! I liked all the characters, except for Rocky’s friend Paulie, who is a complete jerk! I really hated that guy. Why anyone would be friends with him is beyond me. Obviously Rocky just wanted to get with Paulie’s sister Adrian, but after that, he should have just dumped Paulie.

I watched the movie by myself, except for the final fight scene. Koa watched with me, but I’m not sure he liked it. It did look a little dated, but still not too bad. My favorite scene is the famous workout montage featuring the classic song, “Gonna Fly Now”. When you hear that song, you can’t help but get so inspired! Anyways, if you haven’t seen Rocky before, it’s worth your while to rent it!

From Up on Poppy Hill / コクリコ坂から (2011) – Movie Review

, , , I Like It, Reviews1 Comment on From Up on Poppy Hill / コクリコ坂から (2011) – Movie Review

Poppy Hill

I’m not sure how I missed watching “From Up on Poppy Hill” when it was showing here, but I corrected that mistake by ordering the blu-ray version and watching it last week. After seeing some high ratings, I was expecting a great film and I was not disappointed; I loved it! It had everything going for it: beautiful artwork, and interesting setting, likable characters, and great songs and soundtrack.

To me, the story’s setting was so cool. Early ’60s Yokohama is depicted as a busy and hopeful town, and I just loved the small details, like the old posters on the walls. My favorite scene was when Shun was taking Umi to the shopping area on his bicycle, and they were speeding down the hill. That was excellent! I just love slice-of-life stories, and From Up on Poppy Hill was one of the best so far. There wasn’t anything supernatural about it; the only thing that came close was Umi’s dream sequence. But the characters and story really didn’t need any of that. To me, the story was great; my only complaint is that the ending is too abrupt. I wanted the story to develop a little bit more. Is it too much wishful thinking that there will be a follow-up movie? Maybe now that Hayao Miyazaki is retired, it’s a possibility.

Below is the trailer for the US release. I prefer it over the Japanese trailer, although I did watch the Japanese-language version of the film. If you haven’t seen it yet, waste no time!

My rating: 8/10