Sean Akizuki's East Asian Drama and Movie Blog

  I guess it's a long time no reaction to Kamen Rider Geats . As said, I'm having irregular watches these days and blogging is just a sideline. After watching more episodes of Geats - I think the whole thing is more than just that wish. I think Geats is already trying to focus on the theme of FAMILY. Ace was looking for his mother. Keiwa wants to save his family. Later, Neon ends up realizing that she was just a Replacement Goldfish for the real daughter that died in the kidnapping. Neon was simply supernaturally created to replace the dead daughter (Akari) by the previous Goddess of Creation. The Kurama couple are faced with a crisis. What if it's too late to reconcile with a woman they raised as a daughter? Would it be too late to reconcile not especially with how unreasonable they've been? I think both Papa Kurama and Mama Kurama had been traumatized. They don't want to lose Neon like they lost Akari. However, their overprotectiveness would soon make them lose a ...

After watching What She Puts on the Table - I felt watching another Korean crime drama mini-series would be interesting. The series is rated M due to some questionable scenes. The series has two boxers whose loved ones are victimized by fraudulent loans. Unlike other crime drama which is more focused on investigations than revenge - this is an action-packed fisticuff drama since the protagonists are two boxers instead of two policemen. We have Woo Do Hwan as Kim Geon Woo who's a former marine. His partner is Hong Woo Jin acted by Lee Sang Yi - also a former marine. Both see the tremendous powers of how the wealthy can sometimes manipulate the law. I'd say one of the best things, IF NOT the best thing in that show is Park Sung Woong. Yes, the main antagonist in Rugal has to be the show stealer. I really enjoy how this guy makes Kim Myeong Gil such a dangerous villain. The sly smile that Sung Woong makes while getting ready to act out a despicable deed is PRICELESS. Meong Gil is ...

  A few years ago, I did write about the Chinese Sunday Theater in the Philippines . There was also the poorly-dubbed in Tagalog Chinovela Sundays on ABS-CBN and GMA-7 . If my memory is right then the late Fu Pei Mei's show was aired during the Sunday Drama Theater. Taking the place of Judge Bao was indeed Daoming Si. Daoming Si's red tag would probably be a dominant thing in the memory of people in the 2000s. If I'm not wrong, Fu's show aired back-to-back with Meteor Garden (2001) on Sundays. It's been a long time already. Now, we have a gem from a few years back called What She Put on the Table . It was aired last 2017 in Taiwan. Now, you could watch it on Netlix for probably a limited amount of time (since they rent the shows) before the company may no longer renew the rights. The show's Chinese title is 植劇場 - 五味八珍的歲月 (Read as Zhí jùchǎng - wǔwèi bā zhēn de suìyuè in Pinyin) literally meaning  Zhi Theater - The Years of Five Flavors and Eight Treasures . I gu...

I've taken a break from the Korean series for the Chinese Wuxia series. This series would have some weird stuff going on. The beginning almost reminds me of Kamen Rider Zi-O where the main hero is also the future villain. Tantai Jin becomes the Devil God and starts destroying the future. Li Susu sees the future damaged by Devil God Tantai Jin in real carnage. I really loved how the beginning starts with real carnage. The Devil God Tantai Jin is truly a menace. Meanwhile, Li Susu goes back into the past and becomes Ye Xiwu. I think Ye Xiwu has probably the past life of Xiwu. People forget their past lives for a reason. Think it over that there's so much emotional connection whether the leading lady is Susu or Xiwu. I really love the chemistry betweeen Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu. Yunxi knows how to play the more benign side of Tantai Jin before he becomes the Devil God Tantai Jin. Bai Lu manages to play the heroine and the possible past life she had 500 years ago. Susu as Xiwu develops...

I guess Chinese drama, at times, can't skip looking at traditional vs. modern Chinese values. A lot of China has changed over the years. This drama would explore traditional Chinese parenting's constraints to a certain extent. We have Arthur Chen Feiyu (who was pinned to some scandal) and Zhang Jingyi acting as two sides of the coin. Arthur's character of Li Xun is pretty much what some may call a bad boy. Jingyi's character Zhu Yun is raised by traditional Chinese parents. This creates a bridge of romance though it doesn't end in tragedy like Romeo and Juliet . Zhu Yun and Li Xun don't fall for each other, at first. I kinda like it when the love story has hostility turning into romance. When the two fall for each other - Yun's parents get into the picture. I guess China's one-child policy does come into place. After all, Yun is an only child and I'm glad she wasn't aborted. Yun is also pretty much a Mary Sue since she's pretty, intelligent, ...

I've been having irregular watches due to real life issues. Righ tnow, it's time to give my thoughts on Kamen Rider Revice in 30 episodes. There have been ups and downs as the series went. It premiered last year on September 4, 2022. 2022 was also the 20th anniversary of the controversial Kamen Rider Ryuki - a series that I believe was hit by Executive Meddling. The series was obviously meant to kill everyone. The Wish plot was been revived in the form of the Desire Grand Prix. I'd say that there are some areas Ryuki is better but all that got flushed out by Executive Meddling. I dare say because I doubt it neither Yasuko Kobayashi nor Toshiki Inoue would even want that Reset Button! I heard the series was partly based on Squid Game - a Korean drama series that I didn't ride the hype on. I guess I hated how annoying the characters in Squid Game were because of their poor financial habits. Here, the participants of the Grand Desire Prix are all having that one wish grant...

  I must admit that it's difficult to write Copycat Killers without the spoilers. Every time I got spoiled with the events - I just kept watching more of it. It's because the mysteries in the show are utterly very good in unwrapping themselves. Mind Game and Light the Night weren't exactly that good. In this one, we've got a villain only known as Noh (actually Chen He Ping, I warned you about the spoilers in the title). This is a series of serial killings done against women for a reason. We also do have Shen Jia Wun whose mother tried to turn him into a woman. Jia Wun takes his frustrations out on women. Meanwhile, Hui Ping is one incredibly sadistic bastard you just can't ignore. At first, I thought Copycat Killer was a true story. Yet, behind every fictional villain has a very evil character that inspired him or her. The original Japanese story was written by Miyuki Miyabe. I'm yet to see the film (and I might exercise discretion). What I discovered so far was...