Zíza

Clint knows how to play the viewer. He has a very gentle and understated way of introducing a character you will like who will make the film fun for you. He also sets it in some sort of framework of human drama. Here, he didn't even have to make it up, here it was written by fate itself, so it's actually all the better for it. Maybe. A very good film, strong, can definitely play on the viewer's heartstrings, the acting is actually flawless. But I guess I've seen too many similar films that I'm not particularly blown away by it. The movie’s over and I know I won't watch it again or remember it tomorrow. Otherwise, if it ends up leaving something in me, I'm raising my rating. But at this point "only" a strong 3 stars.

If you don't recall Cold Case, add an extra star. I recently cracked it and since the cases are exactly the same, I didn't enjoy it that much. But the craftsmanship and technical aspects of the series are very good and of a high standard. I think if you are not familiar with the subject matter, you will enjoy it. It's really a very good work and it's worth watching it, because you find out that Japan can make a very good series from a technical perspective as well. And, of course, what I like best about this series is the music they use. You just can't help but love it.

I just confirmed to myself that shows about food are not for me. This is actually one of them. The suit visits mostly random pubs, restaurants, or cafes to eat, because there is no talking to him when he gets hungry. Each time, the viewer gets an elaborate description of the taste, texture, smoothness, or chewiness of the food he's eating and how well the cabbage they've put with it matches it. Doubts arise at first, but in the end Inogashira is satisfied and leaves sweaty and satiated. The episodes are short, everything moves along at a very brisk pace, and one can at least take it as an advertisement for restaurants (if you're going to Japan and don't know where to eat in Tokyo, this is quite useful; if anyone wants the addresses of those places, let me know and I'll send them to you). And of course people who like food on screen will also enjoy it. Plus, at the end of each episode, the creator of the show appears eating at the place himself, and basically keeps winking as well, possibly adding some interesting tidbit. A better 3 stars.

It's not bad, but it's terribly uninteresting, bland and flavorless, with no real spark. At first it looked like something interesting, but it didn't go anywhere. Oda Yūji is amazing as always and seems to be enjoying the role. The way he speaks, for example, is great. But it's just not enough. All of the characters are presented in their and weaknesses to horrible proportions that make this more of a caricature than an interesting detective story about a Japanese Sherlock and his nemesis. The cast is fine, basically this year's greats, but the writers don't really go above and beyond. I guess they should have stuck to the relationship stuff. A very weak 3 stars.

I've had enough of Koto's squealing and eye-rolling in this series, so that's why I'm giving 3 stars due to "annoyance". Otherwise, it's in the vein of the first season – it's cheerful and light-hearted, except that Irie is more attentive to Kotoko and doesn't reject her at every corner, so it's a bit more approachable from a relationship standpoint. But as I say, nothing apart from that changes – Kotoko is a jackass, Irie's mother is like a security camera, Kinik is a badass, albeit a dumb one. But then again, it's got that magical energy, so if Kotoko's shrieking doesn't leave you paralyzed after a few episodes, you're in for a treat and you'll have a blast, and it'll charge you up with positive energy like the first season.

A typical hospital drama. A weirdo brilliant at his job, a main character who can't identify with his ways at first, but the viewer barely takes a breath and he is already helping the weirdo. Once again bureaucracy intervenes, but thankfully the doctors here are not as corrupt and it doesn't show all the aspects that can be encountered in other hospital shows (sexual harassment, the young ones have to jump when the older ones whistle, nurses are a rag on the floor, etc.). Nothing groundbreaking in the genre; if you like these stereotypes, the series is perfect for you. Keiko isn't bad either. But all in all, an entirely mediocre affair.

Not a bad series, although the first season intrigued me a bit more. I think the highlight is Tōko and Toremi's conversation in the last episode. I think it was the necessary ending that remained to Tōko from the previous episode. In fact, we've basically been flapping from one thing to another the entire series, with Tōko not being as much fun, but I believe that if a third season came along, we'd have her confidently back in all her glory, and it's because of that conversation. A decently presented investigation, again hinting at how awful the bureaucracy is in Japan, although this time it's less confusing compared to the first season, so it's easy to follow the storyline. Maybe it's also because we're already familiar with the characters. It has its pros and cons, but I like Kimura Fumino and find her likable; for those who feel the same way, definitely don't skip it. Average in the field of crime series, but with an interesting investigator played by Munetaka Aoki, who really illuminates the "grey" average in my opinion.

For the first time in a long time, a zombie series that I really enjoyed. The film follows the rules, so the viewer gets a chance to get to know the main character, who is actually quite a buffoon; though he has lots of ideas about how to change that, the deed is done. Then the contagion breaks out and the general chaos was great! Well just imagine if something like that happened in the city, suddenly broke out. Awesome. Then the movie goes into a sort of mini road movie where Hideo grows on us, starving but not constantly dragging his girlfriend along. And then more people show up on the scene. The movie doesn't have as much space to show how things work in a gated and threatened community, I suppose there was more of that in the manga, but we still get to see how fickle it is and how easily it gets "passed". Oh, and then there's that moment where the hero hesitates and then the film ends with an amazing "hunt". Perfect. I enjoyed the film immensely and I suspect I will watch it again sometime. Actually, the best thing about Hideo is how he's the same for the entire movie – there's basically an extreme situation, but he still pays attention to the rules and laws. A man like that is more precious than gold in an extreme situation. He's so ordinary it's great. A strong 4 stars.

It's definitely wouldn’t have been bad if it had stayed mostly about food and yakuza. What bothers me terribly are the characters who are incredibly scared and basically morons. It got better eventually, but still... I didn't need that storyline in there. It was nice to cook whenever someone needed a pick-me-up and the food could lead to some fitting life lesson. I'll take it, it was fun. Plus, it went by like clockwork because one episode is only half an hour long. A big plus for the endings as well. On the other hand, I don't really like cooking shows either, so it wasn't that entertaining for me. If you like food preparation, though, you've come to the right place. So add a star or two. It's actually a fairly original show, because who would expect one poor college student who is desperately looking for a job but is down on his luck to cook for a yakuza boss basically using leftovers and everyone will love it? A better 2 stars.

Not a bad series, but it doesn't really bring anything new to the field of sports stories after so many others. Basically, if one is into the genre, it's obvious what the characters are going to go through and how it's going to turn out and who's going to win in what match. On the other hand, it's not a big deal, and it's fine viewing at dinnertime, as it won't particularly detract from the meal. Basically, everything is kind of subdued – the humor, the tension of the tournaments, the "development" of their relationships and characters. If you and your younger sibling want to watch girls swinging a big stick, you're home. Mediocre.