Sean Akizuki's East Asian Drama and Movie Blog

I just thought about it that maybe I need a slowdown or even a short break from Kamen Rider. Sure, I may resume watching it but I just feel like a short break is probably all I need right now. I might be focusing on trying to finish Ashes of Love or focus more on the upcoming K-Drama series Vagabond. I can still watch this at my own pace later but I will only update when I feel like it or wrap my thoughts up. I've been having problems with the Shimoyama-Shirakura tandem  -- episodes by Nobohiro Mouri are good while Kento Shimoyama is hit or miss. Shinichiro Shirakura doesn't look like he's pleased with some changes Toei made -- the guy has been known to like brutal stuff as evidenced by the bloodshed in Agito, Faiz, Ryuki and Amazons! Right now, I just feel like my head is overloaded. Sure, I've had some enjoyment but also some "ONORE SHIMOYAMA!" moments here too. I guess you know how Shimoyama wrecked Ninninger! Just because Ninja Steel is oh so terrib...

Okay, sorry if I'm already slowing down on my Kamen Rider Zi-O updates because I'm currently having other interests around. It's quite the reversal of what happened last 2013-2016 when Kamen Rider just got more interesting than what Super Sentai offered for me. Now I'm watching Zi-O but feel like I want to slow down on the updates. Right now, I'm watching Ashes of Love where I'm in the human world arc (which will be VERY LONG) but I'd like to think about the love triangle that crosses across the realms. I wonder if I should feel sorry for Run Yu or not. He decides to speak with Xu Feng's father in the Flower Realm on what he intends to do. He breaks the rules of the 33 Heavens and the Elder Gods for love. Seriously? He sees Jin Mi in the mortal realm and feels jealous over his younger half-brother getting close with the woman he so desires. It's really something when you think of it that Run Yu has broken the laws of Heaven just for Jin Mi. Xu F...

The lives of immortals in several realms can be so complicated, can it? Well both Xu Feng and Jin Mei have been reincarnated as humans and without their thousand years experience worth of memories. This starts with getting the human world more relevant when the first 15 episodes were devoted to the immortal realms. Now this has arrived to the point that you'd be willing to pass through the painful cycle of reincarnation for love. Hmmm doesn't that remind you of Tamahome willing to lose all his memories and be reborn as a Japanese guy named Taka -- all for the sake of Miaka? Jin Mi has become a doctor and Xu Feng has become a general. Now it's time to face with the villains of the human world -- all the while bitchy Celestial Empress is beating out Hera in being spiteful and wants to get rid of Jin Mi. So really Celestial Empress get a life! Xu Feng is arranged to marry some other woman named Sui He but he only has his eyes on Jin Mi. So far, the love triangle between pate...

I just want to address this fact -- is it me or is Kamen Rider Zi-O not going at the right direction with adding extra Kamen Riders that will just be forever guest stars?! We've had Kamen Rider Shinobi, Kamen Rider Quiz and now we've got Kamen Rider Kikai. I haven't really seen much old school Tokusatsu except those that particularly interest me (like most old school Super Sentai) but Kamen Rider or the late Shotaro Ishinomori's old school stuff don't interest me too much. Maybe if I were still a child -- I'd probably still watch them but not now. Now, it's time to give tribute to an android Kamen Rider known as Kamen Rider Kikai. Let's think about the hsitory of Kikaider in both old school a new school. Ishinomori himself also came up with other heroes such as Kikaider -- his first android superhero which probably had a lot of inspiration from some older Western media or what. Isaac Asimov? Well, this half blue and half red symmetrical division wo...

Love triangles are cliche but not necessarily boring. So what's the big deal with the love triangle in Ashes of Love? I'd like to call it Secretary Kim's love triangle taken to a whole new level since Deng Lun is practically Park Seo Jun with superpowers here! But this is royalty, it's the court of the immortals (and may the Elder Gods step in if this trouble) and the Six Realms could destroy each other over two paternal half-brothers. The Heavenly Emperor (no not the Jade Emperor since he rules all 36 Heavens) thought Jin Mi is his daughter by the Flower Goddess. But it turns out that Jin Mi is Yang Zi's daughter by the Water Immortal. Phew! But it does create a new tension since Xu Feng was relieved to hear Jin Mi isn't his paternal half-sister but sad to know his older paternal half-brother Run Yu has been decreed 1,000 years ago (but two years for them) to Jin Mi. How is that dilemma going to be solved? Also, Xu Feng is engaged to Sui He but he's still...