Sean Akizuki's East Asian Drama and Movie Blog

After hearing of the Mulan 2018 remake, I thought about how Liu Yi Fei's already "too old" to play a very young character. Liu Yi Fei was 22 years old while Vicki Zhao was 33 years old back last 2009. Yi Fei is entering 31 next year.  So why did I wish Yi Fei took the role of Mulan over Vicki? I thought a much younger Yi Fei could have handled the role of Hua Mulan better and the age would be a bit near. Mulan was probably 15-16 years old when the story took place. Vicki is already twice her age for the role of Mulan! Back in 2013, we have a 19-year-old Suzy Bae who PULLED OFF the role of Dam Yeo Wool or how Yi Fei was only 19 during Return of Condor Heroes. So why did they get a much older Vicki to play Mulan when Yi Fei was very much young and available to play a character who's in her late teens? In Suzy's case, her character of Yeo Wool was probably 18 years old - which was a marriageable age during those times.  Jerry Yan could play as Gener...

As much as I don't like Ninninger for how it turned out but I thought the ideas revolving around the Final Shuriken and the Last Ninja aren't bad ideas. Just that, Super Sentai may have been trying to stay afloat after ratings dropped from Go-Busters up to ToQGer according to  @Wiki . I thought about this one... Naomi Takebe was responsible for some of my favorite Kamen Riders namely Kamen Rider Kiva, Kamen Rider OOO and Kamen Rider Gaim. For Go-Busters, I would think she's got her lackluster performance there and even if I'm among a few who like the series, you can't deny that she's not cut out for Super Sentai. Yamaji Touha/Jiraiya appeared, as a guest star in Ninninger as the main event. Metal Hero had one ninja themed show, Super Sentai had already three ninja themed shows but Kamen Rider had no official ninja themed Kamen Rider. I think it would be good to try and revive the ideas of the Final Shuriken and Last Ninja in another Kamen Rider battle royale ...

While doing a Kamen Rider Agito rewatch, I thought that some cast members weren't all that good. So I'd submit this wishful thinking post with Hojo's casting. So what's my beef? Sorry Yamasaki, you just aren't cut for Hojo... Considering that Hojo's meant to be the show's conflict, I thought Jun Yamasaki wasn't really ALL THAT good in carrying that part. Sure, he's meant to heckle or to add conflict to the show but the actor isn't all that good. Here's what Shogo B'Stard has to say about the actor himself: While I'm talking about the G3 side of the show, I'd like to say that there's really only one thing that I think can be tedious upon Agito rewatches: Houjou's antics. It's really depressing to find out that Inoue considered Houjou his favorite character in the series, but I guess not all that surprising since he does favor asshole characters like Kusaka and Kiriya. (Some would say Gai, but those people sho...

The more I watched "Loving Never Forgetting", it felt like your traditional Qiong Yao drama with Jerry Yan as Qin Han 2.0.  Aside from my previous wish that Esther Liu were Wu Tong (she's a Liu Xue Hua 2.0), I think the story should have been in the 40s Shanghai.  So why did I think of setting the series in the 1940s? You have to consider that Wu Tong's character is something you can't find in today's China where women already know their rights, were all girls are allowed and women have a choice.  Wu Tong feels like your typical Qiong Yao protagonist - she suffers for some time for the sake of love.  She is always crying and overly martyr type.  Her typical scenario of being the overly martyr type would be more typical in 1940s China than in the contemporary setting it was in. That means, remove all the cellphones or any technology that didn't exist in the 1940s.  Maybe let Li Zhongmou live in the Lu Mansion in Romance in the Rain and let Wu Tong liv...

While watching "Loving Never Forgetting" I really had problems with Wu Tong's actress Tong Liya.  While Jerry Yan certainly can carry Qin Han's charm to the point my aunt calls him "Qin Han Jr.", Tong Liya just doesn't have the similar charm of Qin Han's leading ladies.  Knowing Barbie Xu may have retired from acting (she and Jerry Yan met each other again like Qin Han was reunited with Brigitte Lin)... now here's my possible picks. Esther Liu would have made a much stronger Wu Tong.  Why is that?  Even in Westside Story when she was underaged, she can freaking act!  Whether you need a comedic or dramatic scene, she can do it.  Aside from the Liu, she might be the best replacement for Liu Xuehua in playing leading lady roles.  I guess she can act every Qiong Yao character assigned to her.  Their age gap is 11 years (Qin Han and Liu Xue Hua were 13 years apart), it can work in a chemistry. The other possible leading lady is Liu Yifei which ...

After seeing Jerry Yan's post-Meteor Garden projects and Esther Liu's more serious roles, I think it might be nice to pair Jerry Yan and Esther Liu for at least one remake of Qin Han's old drama projects.  Liu Yifei might be more of a contemporary Brigitte Lin, Esther Liu feels more like Liu Xuehua after Barbie Xu is no longer available. So what makes Esther Liu more of a contemporary Liu Xuehua is because she's more involved with dramas over movies.  Liu Yifei feels more like Brigitte Lin, Esther Liu feels more like she could be Liu Xuehua.  Having watching "Green Forest, My Home", I think Esther Liu would do well in playing Liu Xuehua's classic roles in Barbie Xu's place.  She's impressed me at the same level of Barbie Xu IMO.  She and Jerry Yan may have that kind of chemistry. Trying to compare Qin Han in back in his younger days to Jerry Yan made me think... there's got to be other girls who can mix well with Jerry Yan.  Esther Liu m...

While watching Hot Shot and backtracking to some old Chinese films which I'm very out of the blue with... I just thought here's my wishful thinking to who should have played Jerry Yan's father in Hot Shot or better yet, as his parents. My first wishful thinking was casting Qin Han as Jerry Yan's father Dong Fang Xu.  Both of them kind of look like they could play as a father/son team.  Seeing Qin Han as an old man dribbling a basketball made me think could have played as Jerry Yan's father better than Allen Chao. Seeing Liu Xuehua is a very active veteran actress playing motherly roles, I would really have wanted if both Qin Han and Liu Xuehua acted as Jerry Yan's screen parents in Hot Shot.  I mean, they were a classic on-screen couple and I don't see anything wrong if they should be paired again as parents of Jerry Yan.  If they acted as a lovey-dovey couple, I don't see why they can't act as on-screen parents to your main character.

They feel like Qin Han and Liu Xue Hua chemistry-wise... While watching both the 1986 version and 2001 version of Romance in the Rain after watching Meteor Garden, I just thought that Jerry Yan and Barbie Xu would have made a much stronger Shuhuan and Yiping for this reason. My entire reason would be Jerry Yan has Qin Han's debonair type of appeal, performance and appearance. Although Barbie Xu doesn't look as gorgeous as Liu Xuehua was in her younger days, but the acting of the former was pretty strong in Meteor Garden. I would probably think of possible reactions that could have happened with the character of Yiping. Watching through Qin Han's and Liu Xuehua's performance made me think... DANG! SHUHUAN AND YIPING SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACTED BY JERRY YAN AND BARBIE XU! Looking at the scene in Meteor Garden where Shantsai was beaten up and accused unfairly, Daoming Si going near her to help her... so what was the point? I pretty thought that scene looked better than ...

Although I may not encourage overly using Jerry Yan and Liu Yifei like they did to Qin Han with Brigitte Lin in the movies (it gets boring), but I want to think for once what if we could at least remake Red Dust.  I mean Qin Han's not getting any younger, Brigitte Lin is not getting any younger so I want to see more of Qin Han's movies and series remade with either Jerry Yan, Vic Chou or any competent actor. Jerry Yan has Qin Han's type of appearance, body structure and charisma.  Liu Yifei has Brigitte Lin's type of classical beauty making them almost like a mother/daughter team.  Having Jerry Yan act as Qin Han's character in the past may actually "revive" interest in classical literature to a young generation.

I wasn't so happy about Hana Yori Dango's cast (except for Mao Inoue) so what if we used Tokusatsu cast members?  Wild imagination but here's my dream cast at least to go in par with F4 with mostly my favorites: Emi Takei as Tsukushi Makino- I don't see any reason why she and Tori Matsuzaka can't be paired again!  If she can be Kaoru Kamiya in Rurouni Kenshin so why not as Makino Tsukushi?  She may not be as great as Barbie Xu but the role should probably shape her up for future roles. Tori Matsuzaka for Doumyoji Tsukasa- I think he can really kick serious ass!  I thought he can beat Jun Matsumoto and he in his later roles, can deliver a fierce character.  So yeah, he and Emi Takei as Tsukasa and Tsukushi could be really a blast. Yasuka Saito as Soujiro Mimasaka- I think he can pull off a womanizing role as well as Toshihide Wakamatsu can.  After all, he did pull quite a performance in Boukenger. Yuki Yamada as Akira Mimasaka- He does look like ...

Well I am yet to critique on the Gatchaman film (which I heard had pretty bad reviews) and I am yet to see it but here's my wishes for who would have been in that film!  Hmmm with Toshiki Inoue burned out, I doubt it he could save the film as well! Yasuka Saito as Joe Asakura/Joe the Condor- Well I did enjoy his performance in Boukenger as Masumi Inou who was similar to Gai Yuki in a way.  I think he would have been a stronger Joe the Condor! Rin Takanashi as Jun the Swan- Well I think she could have been a stronger Jun the Swan.  Hee hee. Just for a bit of nostalgia I think Toshihide Wakamatsu should have been Dr. Nambu.  My reason would be this- he was literally a live version of Joe the Condor in Chojin Sentai Jetman with his role as Gai Yuki!  I really think this guy could help!  If Toshiki Inoue wrote the film, I think he would want this guy! Jun Yoshida as Berg Katse (male form)- Okay Jun Yoshida may be quite older already but I thought he...

Well no doubt sometimes senior actor Qin Han still appears at times to play as an important parent.  Now here are the possible people I wish he will work with. I think he and Vic Chou would work together in contemporary Chinese drama.  I mean, Vic Chou is probably close to establishing himself close to Qin Han's ranks in the 80s with having projects per year and having various chemistry.  Personally I think Qin Han should play as his father in any project they could be together. The other person would be Jerry Yan who could act as his son, seeing the two seem to have facial similarities.  Possible partners for him here might be Liu Xue Hua or Zhen Xiu Zhen to play as his wife and Jerry as his son. Penny Lin could play as his daughter if Brigitte Lin would play as the mother. Liu Yi Fei could play as his daughter with either Brigitte Lin or Liu Xue Hua playing as her mother.

Well adaptations can't be all bad like Meteor Garden.  Now either TVB or ATV or any station can actually take this Japanese media set in China to become a drama.  Well maybe tweak things a bit or maybe even continue the plot dangler that happened during the Anime.  My thoughts are these... a fresh new cast especially to play Liu Mao Hsing the main protagonist though we can also have Andy Lau to play as General Lee.  However I hope this idea will reach any Hong Kong station to take the initiative to get the rights to this show and make it into a live drama.  Now then, I hope this can really begin something new with changes for the live version.  As far as I can say, maybe just limit the legendary utensils to three or add new original utensils into this possible adaptation.  Now then, new talents are needed for this idea to come to life.

I pretty thought Kaga Mariko wasn't that good for Kaede Doumyoji so here is my choice for a better actress: Best choice would be Atsuko Takahata.  She's very known for playing bitchy roles in Tokusatsu like Ms. Reiko Ayanokouji in Janperson, the witch in Juspion or Maribaron in Kamen Rider Black RX.  I thought she really knows how to be scary.  Man, her acting as Maribaron and Reiko scared me in my younger years!  She could have been the better choice for Kaede Doumyoji.  Well she's still alive and in good health so she would have made a much stronger Kaede Doumyoji.  She's an awesome actress so no reason why she cannot be a good Kaede Doumyoji considering her years of experience and involvement in J-Drama which she does more than Tokusatsu.  I think she can match up to the acting standards of Zhen Xiu Zhen or Liu Xue Hua in acting as a bitchy woman!  I mean remember this character? She's played extremely bitchy characters like Reiko (in Ja...

After watching some videos, I began to think of these facts... There's no doubt Zhen Xiu Zhen is an awesome actress who knows how to appeal to our feelings.  She was mean when she was mean and in Angel's Wings her role as a good mother was also convincing.  No doubt she played as the abused daughter-in-law while she is yet to play the abusive mother-in-law or the woman Hitler. After watching Yun Niang, I really thought Liu Xue Hua provided a more frightening atmosphere than Zhen Xiu Zhen with how much of a bitch her character was.  In fact, I thought Liu Xue Hua's evil laugh in Yun Niang was a really scary one and she knew how to fill the atmosphere with that kind of fear.  But then again, Zhen Xiu Zhen still did a very good role as the evil Kaede Doumyoji.  But just that Liu Xue Hua seemed to look more chilling in Yun Niang and had a scarier stare imo.

There was Leo Ku in the remake of the classic drama "Yan Yu Meng Meng" as "Qing Shen Shen Yu Meng Meng".  Leo Ku played as Qin Han's character Shu Huan.  I thought that while Leo Ku was more or less of age for the role but my problem with Leo Ku was that he was just not as well expressive as Qin Han was.  He was just not adequate for me compared to Vicki Zhao.  I'd say he can act but he just lacks the it factor to play Qin Han's previously held role as Shu Huan. My choice could have been a little bit clearer with Jerry Yan could have played a better and stronger Shu Huan.  I've actually thought that his acting is better than Leo Ku's.  In fact, he really COULD do the same quality of performance Qin Han was able to carry more emotion like he was acting as Dao Ming Si in Meteor Garden.  Not that I think Leo Ku is a bad actor, just inadequate for stronger emotions especially that of the character of Shu Huan.  In fact, while watching Meteor Gard...

Okay I'll admit I wasn't very easy on accepting Kuuga until a second rewatch, I thought it would be good to have Naruhisa Arakawa do another head writing job for Kamen Rider.  Why's that?  Here's my reasons: Kuuga was his fresh start. Though I wouldn't credit it as his best work BUT this is his start.  So pretty much, he defined the writing style of what Kamen Rider for the Heisei era should have and can improve.  So pretty much, he's got a lot of success in his first job as Kuuga which would help define the new era. He's a very disciplined writer.  So he may have examined his blunders from his previous works (like that Jetman episode featuring Dryer Jigen), resolved them and then transformed his good start with Kuuga for better writing which he did with Super Sentai.  He's the head writer of Abaranger, Dekaranger and Gokaiger.  Okay I'll admit he's not very good with villains in Gokaiger but hey, he can certainly enhance the villains from...