The Great Yokai War / The Big Spook War ようかいだいせんそう 妖怪大戦争 2005

Released Year: 2005
Directed by 三池崇史 Takashi Miike

Casted by:
神木隆之介 Ryunosuke Kamiki as 稲生正 / 麒麟送子 Tadashi Ino
高橋真唯 Mai Takahashi as 川姫 Kawahime
近藤正臣 Masaomi Kondo as 猩猩 Shōjō
阿部貞夫 Sadao Abe as 川太郎 Kawataro
豊川悦司 Etsushi Toyokawa as 加藤保憲 Yasunori Kato
栗山千明 Chiaki Kuriyama as 刺鳥妖女阿木 Agi, The Bird-Catching Sprite

Story:

A young boy named Tadashi Ino moves to a small town after his parents' divorce. At a local festival, he is chosen to be that year's "Kirin Rider," a protector of all things good. He soon discovers that his new title is quite literal, as a nefarious spirit named Yasunori Kato appears. Originally a human who became a demon from the strength of his hatred for humans, Kato desires vengeance against their actions on the Yokai. To carry out his revenge, Kato allies himself with a Yokai named Agi while he summons a fiery spirit called Yomotsumono, composed of the resentment of the many things which mankind has discarded. With Yomotsumono's flames, Kato feeds it Yokai which are used as ingredients in creating violent junkyard Tsukumogami under his control that capture other Yokai to build their numbers while killing humans. One such Yokai, Sunekosuri, escaped and befriended Tadashi who attempts to obtain the Daitenguken from the mountain as part of being the Kirin Rider. However, he wimped out at the last second and with trickery by Shōjō, who picked Tadashi out, the boy overcame the test. Accompanied by Shōjō, Kawahime, and Kawataro, Tadashi makes his way to the DaiTengu who gives him a sword before being taken away by the Tsukumogami. In spite of Tadashi's attempts, the sword is broken as Agi takes Sunekosuri as her captive before the boy is knocked unconscious.

When the boy comes to his senses, he finds himself among Yokai as they discuss how to fix the sword, deciding to get the aid of the blacksmith Ippon-datara. But learning he was also captured, General Nurarihyon and his group leave; Kawataro restrains an Ittan-momen while praising Azukiarai, unaware that he only remained behind due to his foot getting numb. When Kato's industrial fortress takes flight towards Tokyo, Tadashi and company pursue it and arrive after the fortress ingested Tokyo's Shinjuku Capital Building, finding Ippon-datara who reforges the sword while avoiding to talk about how he escaped thanks to Sunekosuri who took his place in becoming a Tsukumogami. Donning new attire, Tadashi and company are outnumbered until they receive unlikely aid from thousands of Yokai who believe they are coming to a party; their festival brawl with Tsukumogami allows Tadashi and Kawahime to enter the fortress safely, followed by a Yokai-obsessed reporter named Sata whom Kawahime saved in the past.

Forced to slay the Tsukumogami that Sunekosuri became, restored to normal yet hanging on for dear life, Tadashi battles Agi in rage before she is called back by Kato to begin the final phase by joining with Yomotsumono. Despite Tadashi's attempts, Kato proves to be superior as Kawahime attempts to protect the boy, admitting to her hatred for humans for being abandoned when she first came into being, but will never resort to a human emotion - revenge. Unfazed, Kato takes the two out as Azukiarai awkwardly arrives and the villain calls Agi to join him. However, her love for him is a hindrance to the process, so Kato kills her instead before entering the oven to become one with Yomotsumono. However, due to Sata's actions, one of Azukiarai's Azuki beans ends up in the mix with Kato, causing a chain reaction of positive emotion that destroys Yomotsumono. After the Yokai take their leave, Tadashi and Sata find themselves on the street and the boy tells his first white lie to the reporter about Kawahime's feelings towards him. Years later, Tadashi is a grown man who lost the ability to see Yokai, even Sunekosuri who is at the end confronted by an Azuki-pupiled Kato.

L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

I always love the Japanese's monsters, and it is so cool to watch them in the movie :) Love their story individually but as i know some of them are quite useless if they really existed in the human world~ lol... Overall the storyline is ok and i really enjoy it

Death Trance デス・トランス

Released Year: 2005

Directed by 下村勇二 Yuji Shimomura

Casted by:

坂口拓 Tak Sakaguchi as Grave / Coffin Man

Honoka Asada as Girl

剣太郎セガール Kentaro Seagal as Sid

須賀貴匡 Takamasa Suga as Ryuen

 Story: 

In an unknown place at an unknown time, a swordsman named Grave yearns for the ultimate battle. Legend tells of a black coffin kept at the Tougan Temple which has the power to grant any man's deepest desire. Hoping to utilize the coffin's ability to fulfill his wish, Grave infiltrates the temple and steals it. Accompanied by a mysterious young girl, Grave travels across the land towards a desert oasis, a place the tales indicate as being linked to the coffin's power.

Contrary to the popular legend, the Tougan monks believe that the coffin holds the Goddess of Destruction, who was banished from Heaven for trying to destroy the world, and whose release will bring about the apocalypse. Fearing the implications of Grave's actions, the monks dispatch Ryuen to retrieve the coffin and prevent it from being opened. But many other forces are also searching for Grave and his prize, including treasure hunter Sid, and an all-out free-for-all ensues as they all struggle to discover the secret power of the coffin.

 L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

One thing good about watching this kind of Japanese fantasy movie (based on Kana Takeuchi's manga), no logic needs to explain on the whole thing. In this (illusion) world, anything can just happen and it is darn exciting to watch it actually. Love Takamasa Suga, he is so fucking yummy~ how i wish i can see more of his body in this movie lol~

The Neighbour No. Thirteen りんじん13ごう 隣人13号

 Released Year: 2005

Directed by 井上靖雄 Yasuo Inoue

 

Casted by:

 小栗旬 Oguri Shun as 村崎十三 Jūzō Murasaki

中村獅童 Nakamura Shido as 13号 No. 13
新井浩文 Hirofumi Arai as 赤井トール Tōru Akai
吉村由美 Yumi Yoshimura as 赤井のぞみ Nozomi Akai

 Story:

Juzo Murasaki arrives at a work construction area to take on his new job as a construction worker. To his quiet dismay, his supervising boss turns out to be Toru Akai, who with his gang had made Juzo's middle school life a living hell. Akai, however, doesn't recognise Juzo.

Juzo's more disconcerted when he discovers that Akai lives with his wife, Nozomi Akai and their toddler son above Juzo's new apartment. As Juzo emotionally struggles to handle these unexpected developments, a mysterious and seemingly malicious hooded figure appears. It calls itself Number 13.

As Juzo attempts to control increasing number of flashbacks and a spiral fall into psychological darkness, Akai constantly picks on Juzo and other work colleagues including Seki Hajime, a former middle school student who becomes Juzo's casual friend in spite of Juzo's anti-social tendencies, at work. Meanwhile Akai's wife, Nozomi, attempts to make friends with Juzo and entrusting the care of her toddler son to Juzo. She proudly shows Juzo her husband's school photos. In one class photo, Juzo's space is marked with an X to show he was absent. Juzo suffers a severe flashback to explain his absence that day: in their school's science room, Akai and his friends have thrown acid at Juzo's face.

Seki becomes suspicious about Juzo's increasingly odd behaviour and goes to inform Arai at the work site, but Arai dismisses him without giving him a chance to speak. During this incident, Seki doesn't realise he's being watched by Number 13, but as soon as he does, Number 13 kills him. Similar incidents follow, which eventually attracts Juzo and Arai's attention.

Number 13 takes Nozomi's life and kidnaps her toddler son. After finding their bodies, Juzo knows where Number 13 has disappeared to: the middle school. At the same time Akai, now knowing who Juzo is, discovers his wife's body and his son missing. He also goes to school. Having arrived first, Juzo discovers what happens to the toddler son, whom Number 13 forcibly drowned, and realises it's gone out of control.

He goes to confront Number 13, but by then, Akai arrives and attacks Juzo whom he believes has his son. After a violent confrontation, Juzo—who we realise is Number 13 all along—kneels over fallen Akai. As he is about to bring down a weapon upon Akai's head, Akai shouts out an apology. Juzo freezes. The apology splits Juzo's universe into two.

Universe #1: as described above.

Universe #2: as middle school boys, Akai apologises after Juzo stood up against Akai's bullying. Soon after, Juzo appears in a class photo as a quiet but happy-looking middle school student. As an adult, he walks past an apartment block where he and the Akai family lived in Universe #1. Juzo notes some construction workers are taking down the block sign, which hints the block is slated to be demolished, then he spots a dark figure in a window. It's Number 13, but Juzo doesn't recognise him as he looks away and continues walking along the side of a man who appears to be Juzo's work friend. It's Arai.

At this point, we viewers realise that the events we saw in Universe #1 never took place in Universe #2. Universe #1 is a scenario of what could have been if Juzo hadn't won Akai's apology after standing up for himself on the day of the potential acid incident and their school photo session. The acid incident, if Juzo had failed to stand up for himself, could have given birth to Number 13, thus creating Juzo's path to Universe #1.

 L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

Quite a nice dark-psychological kinda film... Getting bullied is very normal in Japan's school i think, kids are most likely gone crazy or psycho because they are too afraid to speak out~

 

Personally i think the storyline is good and Oguri Shun is still as cute as before hehe

House of Himiko / Maison de Himiko メゾン・ド・ヒミコ 彩虹下的幸福

Released Year: 2005
Directed by 犬童一心 Isshin Inudo

Casted by:
小田切讓 Joe Odagiri as 春彥 Haruhiko
柴咲幸 Kou Shibasaki as 沙織 Saori
田中泯 Min Tanaka as 卑呼彌 Himiko
歌澤寅右衛門 as Ruby

Story:

Saori met a good looking guy Haruhiko who claimed that he is her father's lover. Haruhiko told her that the father, Himiko is dieing from cancer soon. Himiko has a old folks house for gays and Himiko is staying at there. Haruhiko hope Saori can work at there as a part time nurse to take care of the old folks.

For money, Saori went for it. At first, Saori was disguised with all the gay old man at there. But later on she understand their life and feeling and start to be friend with them. The only person she can't get along is Himiko, her father. One day, Saori and gay folks went for clubbing. Saori and Haruhiko crushed on each other and kiss. But when they try to have sex, Haruhiko can't make it as he still like guys more than girls.

Ruby, one of the old folk is sick. The gang refuse to send him back to the family as Ruby's son doesn't know he is a drag queen before. But as Ruby getting sicker, they have to send him home as the old folks house is not doing good and the sponsor back away after Himiko die. Saori feel sad and left the place.

But after a few while, she feels that she miss all of them and went back to help Haruhiko on the old folks home.

L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:

This is not a bad GLBT movie, but the storyline is a bit dragging and lagging, or else i will score it a bit higher than 5 :) Not too much kinda sex/nude scene in the movie like other GLBT film. But casting the 2 big actor Joe & Kou really spice up the whole film.