A quick note i wrote for some movies i watched

 I always write a note after I finished watching a movie so I thought it might be fun to share some of them before writing in-depth reviews or analysis. Keep in mind that I am not a professional movie critic and this is all mostly for fun. Also, I will only include some Japanese movies for now.

A Touch of Fever (Hashiguchi Ryosuke, 1993): I really need some time to reflect on this movie. I really liked the acting and the vintage look it has, which isn't surprising for it's release year. But it's actually a really sad story with an ending that's
not much different from the beginning.

After Life (Koreeda Hirokazu, 1998): And again, another beautiful movie by Kore-eda. I love the whole concept of the movie so much, it's so interesting and beautiful. The fact that it's based on interviews with real people makes it so much more special.

All about Lily Chou Chou (Iwai Shunji, 2001): Crazy experience, it was kinda confusing at first but I ended up really loving the story, despite having some error sometimes. The cinematography was insanely good and it became a huge muse over time. I also really like how they portrayed certain themes in it. Overall very inspiring in a cinematography sense and something you won't forget easily. Another update: after reading the novel + re-watching I'm definitely not confused anymore.

Call Me Chihiro (Imaizumi Rikiya, 2023): Very soft an healing, however it was kinda boring and the plot was a bit vague, but still a fun watch. (I will be reading a few articles to have a better understanding of the movie so don't mind any harsh words please)

Hana & Alice (Iwai Shunji, 2004): I don't have much to say about it because it was simply beautiful and fun. It was very light-weighted and didn't really include darker themes which makes it a very comforting watch. The acting was really great and especially the visuals were amazing. The colors, the locations and the angles were really really nice.

Himizu (Sono Sion, 2012): Oh my goodness. This is such a masterpiece, however, it does weight really heavy on the heart. The themes were executed so amazingly, there's way too much to talk about. The acting is literally insane and the messages were very clear even though they weren't explicitly said.

Kira Kira Hikaru (Matsuoka Joji, 1992): Wow wow wow. Such a good movie omg. One thing i really appreciated is how Mutsuki stayed true to himself for the most part. But seriously such a good movie and it's hard to believe it came out in 1992 because it's so open-minded. I really really liked this, it was so beautiful.

Kokoro (Nakagawa Ryutaro, 2025): Such a beautiful and sad story. I did enjoy it but it was quite a heavy watch and the ending wasn't a happy one in my opinion. But that doesn't mean it's bad, the acting was insanely good and the production itself was surprisingly nice!

License to Live (Kurosawa Kiyoshi, 1998): Although it feels like I didn't completely understand it, I still really loved watching this movie. I especially loved the character writing and the beautiful cinematography. I would say the movie is very human and I like that.

Like Grains of Sand (Hashiguchi Ryosuke, 1995): I loved this so so much. This is the queer cinema that I appreciate the most, the beautiful way of character writing, the amazing story-line and beautiful composition. It reminded me of Your Name Engraved Herein which is a huge compliment.

Maborosi (Koreeda Hirokazu, 1995): Such a beautiful movie. The cinematography is outstanding, every single scene was so pretty. I love the way Koreeda portrayed death, it's done so amazingly. I also really liked the music and the overall sounds that were used. Over all a very beautiful movie that makes you feel a little melancholic.

Monster (Koreeda Hirokazu, 2023): So healing. Such a beautiful, yet confusing story. I love their friendship and I would most definitely love a bl with the main characters in the future. Update: I just re-watched it and wow! This movie is genuinely such a masterpiece, the pace of time really makes it interesting and the cinematography is outstanding! The actors are so insanely talented and the story is straight up beautiful.

My Broken Mariko (Tanada Yuki, 2022): First of all the composition was very very good, like it was visually amazing. But I can't lie, this movie broke me. It's mostly because of personal connection but also the fact that it portrays very heavy topics and they did it so painfully beautiful and realistic. I genuinely cried my eyes out watching this but it was worth all my tears.    

Nobody Knows (Koreeda Hirokazu, 2004): This movie is made 

by one of my favorite directors and it's a perfect example of how beautiful his works are. It's such a sad story but the characters rarely reflect on the sad event which gives this a very bittersweet feeling. Again beautiful cinematography (like all his works), it really inspires me. Despite not much happening, I never got bored while watching.

One Million Yen Girl (Tanada Yuki, 2008): Such a beautiful movie. It was very different from what I expected but I really liked it! It had this sense of comfort but at the same time also had some darker themes which made a great balance.

Shoplifters (Koreeda Hirokazu, 2018): What a beautiful story. The movie felt so complete and well done. I loved how they had such a strong family dynamic even though they aren't all blood related. The only thing I didn't like was some scenes with nudity but apart from that I loved every second.