The June Entry
First of all, I'm writing this with the very few minutes I have left til I leave from work. My computer at home is breathing its last few breaths so I have to buy a new one pretty soon. ><
Ahh. June is almost over, ne? But that means summer is still here. It's amazing that in another part of the world, they're experiencing winter right now. Hope everyone enjoys and stays safe in whatever season they're having at the moment. ^^
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The June banner celebrates the June birthday boy from Arashi:
The ringtone for June is the intro to Fight Song by Arashi. The song that it was based on, Rakuen (translates to Paradise in English--correct me if I'm wrong though as that is Jim Breen's translation), is pretty nice. Think of the tune of Fight Song with a slower, very raw, Reggae-ish feel. But what really charms me about the song is how cute the lyrics are. I'm used to Nino's emo lyrics, but Rakuen is different. It's quite a happy song. ^^
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Honey and Clover Movie
based on the manga by Umino Chika
The story revolves around 5 people attending an Art School called Hamabi University. A sophomore named Takemoto (Sho Sakurai) who isn't the most talented student yet has a heart of gold. He falls for a freshman named Hagumi Hanamoto (Yuu Aoi), the meek art genius who's the niece (actually she's the daughter of the cousin) of the Architecture Department Director, Shuuji Hanamoto. The other characters are equally (if not more) interesting. Takemoto's dormitory neighbor, Mayama (Ryo Kase): the senior student who is head-over-heels in love with an older woman who happens to be his boss for his part-time job. Yamada Ayu (Megumi Seki), a junior majoring in ceramics, who is head-over-heels in love with Mayama. Finally is the mysterious Morita Shinobu (Yusuke Iseya), the super-senior who's in his 8th year in school despite being an art genius. He is also greatly admired by the quiet Hagumi.
First of all, I give kudos to people who take the challenge of making manga storylines into a 2-hour live action movie. I think many people who follow manga are very rarely happy with movie adaptations. I think drama adaptations, though not all encompassing, have a lot more success than a movie as they have a lot more time in their hands. 2 hours is simply not enough time to show the progress of emotions and relationships of the lives involved in a manga series.
What I liked:
- The looks of the characters--quite close to their manga counterparts
- The university setting
- The scene when Takemoto first sees Hagu-chan
What I didn't like:
- Some characterizations are off (many complained about Morita--but it is a hard character to portray, I have to say)
- The storyline is (as expected) very compressed
Therefore, despite lacking in many different areas, I give the movie some leeway. Plus Sho's in it. 2.5/5 stars.
If you haven't done so, I highly recommend that you watch Honey and Clover the anime. It's really good, especially season 1. Probably one of the best animes I've ever seen in my opinon. I used to wonder why everyone was so crazy about Honey and Clover as the drawings seemed so saccharine (at first, I had a hard time thinking that Hagu-chan is older than 10). Underneath is a beautiful story about 5 characters who you can't help but feel attached to, despite their individual flaws.
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That's about it for now. I'll try to update more when I find the time.
***
Honey and Clover Movie
based on the manga by Umino Chika
The story revolves around 5 people attending an Art School called Hamabi University. A sophomore named Takemoto (Sho Sakurai) who isn't the most talented student yet has a heart of gold. He falls for a freshman named Hagumi Hanamoto (Yuu Aoi), the meek art genius who's the niece (actually she's the daughter of the cousin) of the Architecture Department Director, Shuuji Hanamoto. The other characters are equally (if not more) interesting. Takemoto's dormitory neighbor, Mayama (Ryo Kase): the senior student who is head-over-heels in love with an older woman who happens to be his boss for his part-time job. Yamada Ayu (Megumi Seki), a junior majoring in ceramics, who is head-over-heels in love with Mayama. Finally is the mysterious Morita Shinobu (Yusuke Iseya), the super-senior who's in his 8th year in school despite being an art genius. He is also greatly admired by the quiet Hagumi.
First of all, I give kudos to people who take the challenge of making manga storylines into a 2-hour live action movie. I think many people who follow manga are very rarely happy with movie adaptations. I think drama adaptations, though not all encompassing, have a lot more success than a movie as they have a lot more time in their hands. 2 hours is simply not enough time to show the progress of emotions and relationships of the lives involved in a manga series.
What I liked:
- The looks of the characters--quite close to their manga counterparts
- The university setting
- The scene when Takemoto first sees Hagu-chan
What I didn't like:
- Some characterizations are off (many complained about Morita--but it is a hard character to portray, I have to say)
- The storyline is (as expected) very compressed
Therefore, despite lacking in many different areas, I give the movie some leeway. Plus Sho's in it. 2.5/5 stars.
If you haven't done so, I highly recommend that you watch Honey and Clover the anime. It's really good, especially season 1. Probably one of the best animes I've ever seen in my opinon. I used to wonder why everyone was so crazy about Honey and Clover as the drawings seemed so saccharine (at first, I had a hard time thinking that Hagu-chan is older than 10). Underneath is a beautiful story about 5 characters who you can't help but feel attached to, despite their individual flaws.
***
That's about it for now. I'll try to update more when I find the time.
