So many Half-baked Stories!

I didn't like 'Yakuza and The Family'. Maybe because it tries to cover too much, there are lots of half-baked stories that don't make sense. For example, both the guy's best friend and his woman_adults with decades of life experience_show extreme behaviours: one moment totally rejecting him and then immediately helping and accepting him into their lives; and then when things go wrong, leaving him alone and putting all the blame on him. What exactly did they expect?

In any case, I wish he would talk to me after his prison time: I have a simple suggestion for him: Don't show up for 1 or 2 years, maybe travel to some distant city, but keep connection with friends and family. And then gradually coming back to normal and family life. I swear to God that I could guarantee a happy family life for the father, mother and the kid.

Last but not least, it was nice to see that Japan slowly but surely has reduced the Yakuza problem. This slow disappearance is the best!

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Last Friends (2008): 'Failed' Friendship, To Some Degree!

When I first watched Last Friends, I didn't feel great at the end. I wasn't sure why, but now after rewatching, I know why!

It's all about friendship, friends who are ready to do everything for their friends. As a 'friendship guy', I was supposed to enjoy it, however, I ended up with a bitter feeling. The reason is that despite all efforts and sacrifices, they can't really come closer emotionally to each other, so in the end, they still live their own distinct lives. And this is more obvious in the relationship between Michiru (Nagasawa Masami) & Ruka (Ueno Juri). They're supposed to be best friends, even more than that, but from the beginning to the end, they are clueless about each other feelings.

So, a very good drama in depicting that friendship can fail big time sometimes, even if friends do their best. And this is not what we can often see in J-dorama, tending to show the magical side of friendship.

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Why Is Minori So Angry?

Minori is pretty and popular, lives in a beautiful wealthy country, earns enough money with a relaxed job, has good friends, gets supported by her family, and so forth but she is so angry, having ugly fights with assholes, even with family & friends. Why?

Ok, she was abused by her father, but it was a long time ago, so why doesn't she makes her own family and find peace, like Sachi in 'Our Little Sisters' (2015), like many other characters in J-doramas and movies?

The thing is this: She has a social awareness, so it's not only about her father's abuse, it's about everyday abuse and discrimination. She's well aware of the dark side of her beautiful country:

https://www.indiewire.com/2022/04/sion-sono-accused-sexual-assaults-1234714367/
https://www.indiewire.com/2022/06/naomi-kawase-accused-violence-on-set-1234731431/
https://www.republicworld.com/entertainment-news/rest-of-the-world/japanese-filmmaker-actor-caught-in-number-metoo-allegations-film-release-put-on-hold-articleshow.html

I just hope instead of ugly useless personal fights, she'll find angry women and men like herself, so collectively fight for social change.

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17 year-old 'Akira' and her 45-year old Saviour

Here, I'm writing something like an extended synopsis to set out the scenery, the rest is on yours:

The 17 year-old runner 'Akira' has the future in her hands. But all the dreams get shattered by an injury. As a 'strong' girl, she doesn't show any weakness, no crying! But deep inside: a different story, a story of desperation and anger. She shows her anger toward classmates and friends by avoiding them. More importantly, there is an anger against herself and her situation: she spends all her free time by working her 'part-time job'. This is her addiction and self-destruction. On the other hand, we have 'Masami Kondo', Akira's manager and a divorced 45-year-old man. Story short, his life seems to be a total failure to the point that even his employees look at him pitifully.

However, Akira sees something different in her manager: A kind, attentive, mature and reliable man, some oxygen in her suffocating situation. She fells in love.

Now, it seems that everything is ready for an 'unpleasant', but fiery relationship between 17 and 45, as each side has something to gain. We already know what Akira needs, and it's not hard to see that Masami facing all kinds of life crises, can kind of experience a new youth and life in Akira.

You can watch the movie yourself, just let me say that I think this Masami Kondo guy is an angel sent to save Akira. Or better to say, Akira's eyes are strong enough to see and find her saviour, when no one else could see her real 'tomodachi'.

Maybe the movie has nothing sparkling to absorb widespread attention, but I think it's about a very real and serious problem: Many young girls in our world face similar situation, as the world is too cruel and unfair to let them follow their dreams. And I guess many times, in their desperation, like 'Akira', they start to look for some saviors. Sadly though, there are not many people and men like 'Masami Kondo'.

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I watched the series, "Our House (2016)" mainly for Mana Ashida; to see how the 12-year-old Mana-chan plays.

And I got shocked by how cold and un-Japanese the series is. After all, it's about a Japanese family, a unit supposedly with strong bonds.

Basically, the family replace each other more easily than one might change clothes. Only six months after the death of the mother, the father re-marries; in the meantime, the kids' big worry is to decide who can be their new mother. And then when they make a wrong choice, they are quick to go back to the alternative option. And despite all this, the series insists on convincing us that they love each other, WTF!

IMO, Mana does an excellent job to save the series, but the story is too ridiculous to be saved even by the greatest acting. Instead it's Mana's reputation that is damaged.

I hope in the future, Mana will play somewhere she deserves, so can show her amazing skills once more.

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