Genre: Romance, Shoujo Manga, Archery, Teen, School
Date Released: 2017
Japanese
Cast
Elaiza Ikeda as An Kishimoto
Masaki Nakao as Yota Mikami
Takashi Matsuo as Naoyuki Yoshiki
Katsuhuri Suzuki as Arashi Kuwabara
Takahisa Maeyama as Katsum Iragashi
Minori Hagiwara as Riko Ando
Kusei Yuki as Shotaro Endo
Hidekazu Mashima as Kaname Mikamai
Make a Bow & Kiss (Japanese Film)
I would classify this drama as a mature teen drama because of two things.
Firstly because of the nature of the leads’ relationship and secondly, the story itself.
An Kishimoto devoted much of the last six years as a member, and currently being the president, of the archery club in her school. She is a third year high school student.
She felt that she cannot give anymore of herself into archery, thus she decided to give up her presidency and retire completely from the club.
There was a second year student, Mikami, who was an up and coming archer. Though he does not attend much of the training, he always win the archery gongs during contest.
An Kishimoto decided that Mikami should be the next president and therefore passed the honour to him.
Mikami had other ideas. Though, he accepted the presidency, he would not accept her total retirement from the club.
He roughly seduced her with kisses. The innocent An was quickly beguiled into staying. After she agreed, Mikami behaved as if nothing had happened.
Poor An was captivated even more.
She was so enthralled with him that she became jealous of ever phone calls he received. She followed him one day in a hospital. She was so curious to know who he visits and found him with a boy, who was his adopted brother.
Mikami saw her skulking and asked her why she was following him.
She confessed to him that she liked him. Mikami then said that he likes her too and that she will be his girlfriend.
Despite their official relationship, Mikami would blow hot and cold and told her that they should break up.
Mikami has so much issues, including his adopted brother’s terminal illness. He can’t accept it and feels disappointed and annoyed that his adopted father has now resigned to the fact.
He reconciled with An but he made her promised that she needs to stay by his side not only now, next year but for the rest of her life.
I am just about to watch this film. Apparently this is a twisted kind of a love story of a beautiful girl and a slob. 🙂 Yeah that would happen.
It could actually because this girl, though gorgeous with her long hair and good skin, is a sloth. She doesn’t do anything but sleep, eat and moan. Who would put up with her?
This loving slob, who works all the hours to provide for Towako.
Actually this movie is very dark but very watchable film because of the excellent acting from the cast, especially the lead girl, Yu Aoi. She is very versatile. She shows feisty character and vulnerability in equal measures. This film is a good vehicle for her talent.
Anyway Towako was once and innocent and deeply in love young woman with a gorgeous, masculine guy. He was Kurosaki.
She tasted the good life with Kurosaki. . They had idyllic romantic holidays together.
But one day, he asked her for a favour. He said that he was in a lot of debt especially to a man called Kuneida. Kuneida apparently saw her and had rather taken a fancy to her. Kuneida was an old man but said that he was willing to write off Kurosaki’s debt if Towako sleeps with him.
Towako was absolutely mesmeried by Kurosaki and would do whatever he asked. Therefore, despite her better judgement, she slept with old Kuneida.
After a week or so, Kurosaki wanted to break-up because he was getting married to Kayo. Kayo was old Kuneida’s daughter.
She was absolutely broken-hearted and very upset of being used. They fought but she ended up bruised and battered from the slaps, punches, and kicking from Kurosaki.
Though still battered she started in a new job, where Jinji works. He was uncouth, short, squat but has the stamina and persistence that can break down walls.
Jinji told her that he does not expect her to sleep with him but he really wanted them to be friends.
Towako started living with Jinji and settled in a one-sided love by Jinji, He treated her like his princess, his better half but without much fringe benefits. He does get lucky once in a while:)
After three years, Towako heard from Kurosaki. He told her that in the last three years he had missed her every day that he can’t really relate with his wife and family.
They were loving every minute of their reunion until Kurosaki once again was up to his tricks. He wanted the same favour. Apparently he owned his now father-in-law, Kuneda, 10 million yen. It would break his family and him, if he can’t repay the old guy. Kuneida apparently will forget the loan if Towako would sleep with him once more and he had never forgotten her.
This did not end too well. They parted ways for good.
But no matter what she do to forget him, she just can’t do it.
One day she got to meet Mishusima, who reminded him so much of Kurosaki. Before you can blink they are on some gratuitous sex.
Actually forget the gratuitous, Tori Matsuzaka and Yu Aoi were sexy together.
There is a twist ending and it was poignant.
It is a love story of some sort which ends in tragedy like every great love story.
I just finished watching the film and although I did not understand a word, I found it most exciting and compeling. I was on edge especially the last 10 minutes of the film when the rally finally took place.
The story is about a Birdman rally, which I know originated in a Selsey resort in England in 1971. Bognor Regis is now the new home of this annual international summer competition attended my people around the world bringing with them their ingenious designs, each trying to go against the natural law of physics.
The idea was to be a ‘birdman’ and glide for at least 50m on air through sheer human powered flying machine a la Leonardo da Vinci design.
Yukina has just started at the University of Science, which she found rather underwhelming, especially with the lack of eye candy, until she met Kei.
She thought she saw him cycling before and she really liked him. He was a handsome and charismatic young man who recruited her and her friend to join the Team Birdman Trial. As soon as she saw him, it was more or less a foregone conclusion that she joins.
The first time she went into their club house, she was overwhelmed with the numbers of geeky guys, who were mostly sporting a pudding bowl haircut, in one place. Again she started to have second thought about joining but Kei was there.
Yukina was a bit of a tomboy. She can do boyish things if she puts her mind to it. She can cycle like the best of them, she can also run and outshout anyone.
All was going smoothly until Kei introduced her to another member of the team, Taishi. He was a guy straight from manga. With sharp unruly hair who shouts rather than talk. He is also rather anti-social to boot. But he loves reading manga the girly type and listening to bubblegum music of girl group. I love his characters, it is well developed. He shouts and rants and rather crude at times but he has a heart of gold.
He was a brilliant cyclist, faster and with more stamina than Kei.
It was agreed that Kei and Taishi will be the participants for the Birdman rally representing the team.
On the trial run, everything started well but after a couple of minutes, the flying machine crashed, which left Kei with a broken leg.
Everyone was upset, in a doldrum, thinking that it was all over for the team.
Yukina convinced Taishi and the team that she can be a substitute as long as they train her.
After an intensive and extensive training, Yukina and Taishi flew the flying machine, cycling their way across the river. Everybody was rejoicing as the machine continued on air for an impressive amount of time.
Here where it got complicated for me. As I don’t understand Japanese, I don’t know whether Taishi confessed to Yukina or Yukina confessed to Taishi. Or if they confessed to each other at all! 🙂 🙂 🙂 She did find out the boy she saw cycling the first time she went to the university was in fact Taishi rather Kei.
It ended with all of them happy and hugging.
It is a lovely story with or without subtitles. Enjoyed it thoroughly.
Update:
Just watched the subbed movie.
Taishi did confessed to Yukina mid-air. He told her he loved her again and again and live on tv as well. But the naughty Yukina said she was not interested with him as he was not her type. 🙂 🙂 🙂 The audience were shocked of Taishi being dumped literally on air. LOL
As a mini-revenge, Taishi told Yukina that Kei is dating the plain four eyed girl he was with him on the boat below following them.
Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahou (Movie Review)
Wow, this drama is amazing. I mean in a practical sense rather than the story itself.
It shows how to sort out the clutter and how to prevent and stop hoarding. Apparently being untidy has a deeper meaning. Once you have physically tidy up the unnecessary clutter in the house then you will see the bigger picture in your life and thus sort things out.
Holding on to memories is not about having a lot of things that won’t see the light of day again. Let it go, live in the here and now.
I recommend this film to those who would be doing their spring cleaning soon.
There is a scene where it shows the proper or respectful way of giving up clothes which no longer make your heart throbs. 🙂
Hyakuman En To Nigamushi Onna – One Million Yen Girl
This film is a real classic, made in 2008 starring the gorgeous Yu Aio.
Why Japanese film feels and look more original than other Asian films is that they usually leave you feeling sort of cheated, because you want more, at least a more ‘in your face’ satisfactory ending.
This film is great, though it leaves you rather perplexed.
The girl originally gone through a pretty horrendous time in her young life but the film has a vibrant, positive feel about it. The girl is strong, she does not allow ‘life’ to grind her down.
Anyway Yu Aio plays Susuko Sato, a rather unassuming and unremarkable girl, who is often overshadowed by her much younger brother.
One day, she happened to mention her unhappiness regarding her current home-life situation to a co-worker. Out of the blue the co-worker convinced her to flat-share.
When they’ve signed the contract, the co-worker said that she will be sharing her room with her boyfriend. Susuko was not too sure at first, but she doesn’t really have a choice on the matter.
Susuko found out that only the boyfriend was moving in as he had already broken up with Susuko’s friend.
Susuko was so lonely and rather confused. She found an abandoned little kitty and brought it to her room. She went out to buy food for the kitten, but it was no longer there because the ‘boyfriend’ took it upon himself to get rid of it. She later found the kitten dead – a road kill.
Susuko took her revenge by emptying the boyfriend’s room of all his properties.
She was later arrested by the police for criminal damages and fined 200,000 yen and a stint in prison.
When she got out, her life in her family home is even more stressful. So with the rest of her savings, she decided to move out. With a suitcase she travels around Japan.
She is such a good worker, quiet. reliable and industrious. But she never stay in one place with permanence as a plan. As soon as she tops up her savings back to 1Million ($10K) it’s time for her to move on.
She first worked in a beach cafe serving ice-cones, which she perfected making.
She is a pretty girl, with her long flowing black hair and slim body, she often courted admiration but she is not really interested. As her savings topped 1M, she moved to another town.
She worked at a peach farm. This area has an ageing population. They admired her young good looks and they tried ‘bullying’ her into becoming the Peach Girl, the face of their peaches industry. No matter how politely she tried to turn down their offer, they would not have it. In the end she was forced to confess that she has a criminal record. This information led to her being shun by the small community.
Next move, was to another place just 40 minutes by fast train from Tokyo.
Here she started working in a garden centre with a guy the same age as her. The boy likes her and she confessed that she likes him too. Before you know it they were sleeping together. 🙂
When the boy asked her why she came to be in this place, she confessed that she was running away from herself. She wanted to live in a place where no one knew her. She then told him about her criminal record. The boy was not bothered about the record. He loves her.
Another girl got hired in the garden centre. She goes to the same university as the boy and they have the same major.
Susuko started feeling that the boy is cooling off towards her. The last time they were together, the boy asked her if he could borrow 60,000 Yen from her, which she gave him in a heartbeat.
One time she was out for a walk when she saw her boyfriend on a date with the new girl. The boyfriend unashamedly stopped her on her track to borrow 10,000 Yen from her.
Suddenly she notice that every time they go out, whether to the cinema or restaurant, she was always footing the bill.
She broke up with the boy and decided to move on once again, although she has not reach her 1M saving.
She went to give her notice to the employer and her ex-boyfriend gave her all the money he owed her.
While she was walking towards the train station, the new girl confronted the boy. She wanted to know if he was just going to leave it like it is. She said he should clear the misunderstanding. That he borrows money from Susuko so she doesn’t get to save the 1M, ergo, she won’t leave.
At the train station, the boy was there. Susuko saw him and stopped for a moment but continue to walk on. She believed it can be happening that the boy is running after her. That is how it ended.
Strange ending. I actually said ‘Heh?!!!’ Just like what young Japanese girls in romantic dramas would confusedly exclaimed when faced with things that are confusing.
Overall, it is a good watch and makes me wish to travel and been more adventurous in my youth. LOL
