Sean Akizuki's East Asian Drama and Movie Blog

I really don't like engaging in the whole division of J-Pop vs. K-Pop because it's almost like Star Wars vs. Star Trek -- you are free to pick one over the other or like both in varying degrees. A new ramble I have now may reveal my possible, tentative schedule. It's because I think my preferences may shift for the umpteenth time. I don't like new school Super Sentai that much in contrast to new school Kamen Rider. Also, I've been into K-Drama every now and then thanks to the power of the digital age -- I don't have to stay up late to watch those awfully dubbed K-Dramas on ABS-CBN and GMA-7. Now, two series are coming in early and late September 2019 namely Kamen Rider Zero-One and Vagabond. Kamen Rider Zero-One So, what's with new school Kamen Rider and why do I tend to prefer it over the new school Super Sentai entries even when I can still watch both? It's quite the reverse, actually. I tend to think that the Showa-era Kamen Rider series aren...

One thing I can say that Zi-O has broken my expectations of a total disaster due to the Shirakura-Shimoyama tandem . However, Kyuranger's Nobuhiro Mouri does learn a lot from his mistakes and he's actually doing it better -- way better than whenever Shimoyama pops in. Like I said, the only reason why Ninninger is "better" than the utter failure that's Ninja Steel is that the girls are hotter, no season split, and may I add that at least Takaharu is nowhere near as stupid as Victor and Monty. Other than that, I haven't had the stomach to re-watch Ninninger even when the girls are hotter. So how are things going on? The three-parter is interesting in this way. We see the dangers of altering time and Daiki getting more used than he was in Kamen Rider Decade. Tsukasa appears yet again to be better utilized than Shoji Yonemura did. Well as I said, I may not like Decade but at least Tsukasa has the chance to redeem himself. At least, Decade's not turned into ...

The Kamen Rider era has a long history though it's not Toei's longest-running series. Who can remember the rather shaky Showa era where there were hiatuses in between certain shows? Who can remember the successful revival of Kamen Rider in the Heisei era last 2000? The Heisei era ended last May 1, 2019, and Kamen Rider Zi-O ended as the last Heisei era Rider to migrate into the Reiwa era. Now, it's time to make way for the first true Reiwa-era Kamen Rider with Kamen Rider Zero-01. What's the significance of the numbers 01? They are read as Reiwan where you can find the word Reiwa. Is Toei punning everyone? Do you remember when the first Kamen Rider who was just called Kamen Rider was later called Kamen Rider Ichigo which means The First Kamen Rider? However, Kuuga means empty self which Kamen Rider did to empty itself from the traditional formula and it's been stuck in that framework ever since -- albeit with some changes. However, it doesn't look like the w...

I did enjoy the brutal choreography (which was close to Arnold Schwarzenegger's version of Conan the Barbarian) of Jingle Ma's Hua Mulan with one character dying after the other. Heck, I even thought the death of Jaycee Chan's character as a human version of Mushu was something satisfying to watch. Now, I thought that the ending was a cliffhanger and I hated that, "Why must Weitai marry that Rouran princess to secure a treaty? It's just not FREAKING FAIR after all they have gone through!"Some may argue that he can take Mulan as a second wife but WTF - it's just not fair for any woman to be forced into that position! Then I remembered Disney's Mulan had a sequel. Well, there's no Mushu-type character to ruin it so that means don't expect Jaycee to return. What's my possible plot? Wentai doesn't love the Rouran princess and he still loves Mulan. Mulan makes that sacrifice for the good of the nation until she sees that she still loves W...