Higanjima
Forgot to write a review on this the other day...
I bought it (well my mother did) as my present (along with 7other DVDs) for getting into university. I got it (as a movie I'd never seen before) because it was about vampires - and not the shitty twilight kind or the pansy vampires you get these days - and it was a Japanese horror... now I HATE horror but I actually found the Japanese versions of The Grudge highly hilarious and thought "Hmm Vampires? Hmm... Horror?.. That could mean a lot of blood.. the guy on the front is looking good.. BUYING!" So I bought it and watched it, went to watch it again but for some reason I was scared (my parents were away) so didn't and now third time around I'ma watching it (parents are asleep in bed, in the house, at 3am) again ^_^
First things first - THE GIRL FROM IKEMEN DESU NE IS IN IT! Knew it was her straight away... she looks better in Ikemen though imo xDD
Anyways... onto the basics...
■Movie: Higanjima
■Romaji: Higanjima
■Japanese: 彼岸島
■Korean: 피안도 (Piando)
■Director: Tae-gyun Kim
■Writer: Tetsuya Oishi
■Producer:
■Cinematography:
■World Premiere: October 9, 2009 (Pusan International Film Festival)
■Release Date: January 9, 2010
■Runtime: 122 Min
■Language: Japanese
In Higanjima, a man and his friends travel to a mysterious island in search of his vanished brother. The island turns out to be inhabited by vampires.
■Hideo Ishiguro - Akira Miyamoto
■Dai Watanabe - Atsushi Miyamoto
■Miori Takimoto - Yuki << IKEMEN DESU NE GIRL!
■Asami Mizukawa - Aoyama Rei
■Koji Yamamoto
■Fumito Moriwaki
■Osamu Adachi
■Ayako Omura
So onto the review... spoilers appear! =DD (and LJ is being GAY atm and not letting me use nothing but the HTML view ='[)
So it'll go in order of: Cast, Plot, Story, Rating...
Hideo Ishiguro - amazing actor. I really liked his role in this. I think it was a good challenging role =D he's good looking too ^^ I've also seen him in Gokusen: The Movie, MR.BRAIN, One Pound Gospel (where I first met him), Princess Princess D and Gokusen 2 ^^
Watanabe Dai - never seen him in anything else but he looks so familiar. He has a great character role in this film! and looks SO different without glasses.
Miori Takimoto - *daydreams* well we all know she's my female crush at the moment so that's all I pretty much have to say... she wasn't an annoying female role in this either! Hang on.. she was in Yamato?!?! WHERE?! *must rewatch laters*
Mizukawa Asami - She looked hot with her sunglasses on <3 but in the love hotel I didn't think she looked good... she was looking FINE after it, she reminds me of a quirky Kitagawa Keiko.. don't cha think??
Maybe it's just me! But yeah.. she looks good... Turns out she's been in *counts* 2 (including this 3) things I've already seen ^^
Osamu Adachi - Ahhh when a D-Boys is involved, it makes the film 1000times better! ^^ I've only ever seen him in Princess Princess D and Natsu Doko 2010 before this so I saw him as a timid, shy, simple boy but watching him in this WOW he can act and I love his character in this film! SO different and such a flawed character xDD He looks cute with his messed up hair too!
Yamamoto Koji - I SERIOUSLY had to look like a thousand times to actually believe he played the head vampire! Jezus! Make Up can work wonders! HOLY crap SERIOUSLY HE PLAYED THE VAMPIRE!! I am SHOCKED.. wow... you'll understand later WHY I'm so shocked!
Tomohisa Yuge - I have to admit.. I didn't like his face or his character at first but by the end he won me over, great character and a good actor =D yeah... once his hair deflated he looked good ^^ and less annoying...
*Uncredit/Unknown*
The actor of Pon - A! Such a cutie! The big guy - He annoyed me! He was the one that actually annoyed me.. probably because his personality sucked (aha get it?) and he only thought of girls and sex really -__-
MOVING onto PLOT.. Now the plot/summary to this film makes it sound PAP. It should be something like:
"on an unknown location in Japan, is a country of vampires swarming the land. There, 6 high students travel in hope of finding their lost brother; but what they find in return is blood, loss and violent creatures." sounds spicey now ne? ^^
Moving to... the story...
Well pretty much a shortened version of my review (full version when I get captures ^^)...
I LOVE this film!
I think it's violent, sexy, enjoyable, pleasurable, omoshiroi, heartbreaking, cringeworthy, must keep eyes wide open-feeling, it's just a brilliant film. I love the characters, the music, the action, the way the film flows. It'll be interesting to read the manga now and see what's different and such ^^ The characters are actually very likeable and easy to accept and become part of the action and what they're going through,,,
What else shall I say...
I love the fight scenes, they're pretty cool. especially the one at the end with the fabrics all around them. Although I really disliked the CGI of the dragon/creature thing but nevertheless I was still like "ew" xD
Finally... I loved the ending as it leaves questions like "They realise he's alive?! How did he survive?! WOW his eyes just opened but he was beheaded, how will that work?! Did he really come back?!" Sooo it makes you think they'll make a second film but I actually hope they don't so I can leave it to my own imagination ^^ Plus it might be shown/told in the manga and I wanna read it! ^^
On the negative...
There are sound problems -__- now it may be my TV but when characters are talking you have to turn the sound up to hear them but as soon as music and sound effects kick in it's like "WOW TOO LOUD *turns down* great now they're talking again *turns up*" You really can't win as you're constantly doing this! ((especially ay 4 in the morning! xDD Btw, now it's like 11am. I wrote most of this and then saved it and went to bed to carry it on ^^) but I think that's all I have to say really.. o except: WHY DID PON HAVE TO DIE?!?! ='[
Ratings...
Music: 7/10 - can't really hear it or atleast I didn't notice it majorly but I really like the theme song/s! ^^
Characters: 9/10! 10/10 for the Vampire on his own but I disliked the big guy o_O
Actors: 9/10! Some are unknown and some a well know so a good mix ^^ Great acting also! =D
Action: 9/10 Maybe a bit more blood needed?
Horror: 4/10 I wasn't scared but because I was the time my parents were away I am putting up a few marks.
Story: 9/20 VERY enjoyable =]
Other: MUST REWATCH WITH SURROUND SOUND! xDD
Well...
Off to read the manga! =D and hopefully buy it xDD
And I will definately be making some screencaptures laters =DD