honmei ~ WHISPER OF THE HEART (Anime)

title: WHISPER OF THE HEART

director: Yoshifumi Kondo

writer: Hayao Miyazaki

release date: July 15, 1995

genre: slice-of-life, teen

SYNOPSIS: 

Shizuku Tsukishima ~ an above average 14-year-old teenage girl who loves to write songs will build a friendship with a fellow classmate Seiji Amasama through her love of library books.  She loves to read and often borrows from the library when she noticed that every book she borrowed was also checked-out before her by a mysterious Seiji Amasama.  The setting of the movie has a country tone, more like a small town feel even using "Take Me Home Country Roads" for a soundtrack.

*official trailer ~ Japanese*

credits ~ Wikipedia and Bing (images)

honmei ~ SPIRITED AWAY

title: SPIRITED AWAY

director: Hayao Miyazaki

release date: July 20, 2001

genre: drama, family, sci-fi

SYNOPSIS: 

Chihiro Ogino, a 10-year-old girl and her parents are on their way to their new home when they make a wrong turn into a train station facade of a fantasy world that her father insisted on exploring.  Her parents ate like pigs on a restaurant and she explored reaching a bathhouse.  Chihiro will meet interesting folks, animals and people alike in this fantasy land.  Her adventures begin when she figures out a way out of this world and back into reality. 

Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki never disappoints anime fanatics and beginners alike.  This movie introduced me to the wonderful world of anime, specially Studio Ghibli.  

credits ~ Wikipedia and Bing (images)

honmei ~ HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

title: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

director: Hayao Miyazaki

release date: Sept. 5, 2004 (Venice)

November 20, 2004 (Japan)

genre: action, drama, war, romance

SYNOPSIS:

Sophie, a young 18-year-old hatter encounters The Witch of the Waste, who will cast a curse upon her turning her into an 90-year-old woman.  All of this happened while she was visiting her younger sister Lettie. 

She will soon run into a young gorgeous wizard named Howl, who lives in an enchanted moving castle.  Their lives will never be the same and movie revolves around their new found friendship and adventures together. 

credits ~ Wikipedia and Google (images)

anime: PAPRIKA パプリカ

title: PAPRIKA
Japanese:  パプリカ

director: Satoshi Kon

release date: September 2, 2006 (Venice) 

November 25, 2006 (Japan)

genre: sci-fi, psychological 

SYNOPSIS:
Movie is about a research psychologist who uses an unconventional treatment method of using a device that allows her to enter her patient's dreams.  
Based on the manga written by Yasutaka Tsuitsui of the same title "Paprika". 
This is director Satoshi Kon's fourth and final feature film before he passed away in 2010.  
His other works are Perfect Blue (1997), Tokyo Godfathers (2003), and Millenium Actress (2001). 

credits ~ Wikipedia and Google for the images 

honmei ~ THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME (Anime)

title: THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGHT TIME
release date: July 15, 2006
country: Japan
genre: slice-of-life, sci-fi

SYNOPSIS: 
Makoto Konno, a typical 15-year-old girl who loves to hang out with her two guy best friends ~ Chiaki Mamiya and Kosuke Tsuda found a device that allowed her to leap through time.  Sounds like fun but all actions have a consequence, thus the moral of the movie.  

This movie is based on a manga with the same title "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" written by Yasutaka Tsuitsui. 

AWARDS: 
2006 Best Animated Film ~ Sitges Film Festival 
2006 Animation of the Year ~ Japan Academy Prize 
2007 Animation of the Year ~ Tokyo Anime Awards

**more awards are won**
credits ~ Wikipedia and Google for images

*official trailer*

honmei ~ KIMI NI TODOKE

title: KIMI NI TODOKE 

english translation: 

FROM ME TO YOU or REACHING YOU

starring: MIURA HARUMA and MIKAKO TABE

release date: September 25, 2010

genre: Romantic-Comedy

Based on Japanese manga of the same title "Kimi Ni Todoke" or Reaching You by Karuho Shiina.  I really love the manga, and also the anime and truly fell in love with the movie (biased because of Haruma-san) because the light-hearted story of Sawako (Tabe) and Kazehaya (Haruma).  

honmei ~ KOIZORA (Sky of Love)

title: KOIZORA ~ Sky of Love
starring: MIURA HARUMA and YUI ARAGAKI
release date: November 3, 2007
genre: Romance Drama

This is one of my all-time favorite Japanese movie, however, I didn't write a review so better late than never. I'm not much of a drama movie person but the looks (and talent) of Haruma sold me on this movie.  Two high school kids fell in-love and the rest you must see the movie on what the hype is all about.  

reel:YOU'RE MY PET

title: YOU'RE MY PET 
starring: JANG GEUN-SUK and KIM HAN-NEUL
release date: November 10, 2011
genre: Romantic-Comedy

This movie is based on the manga with the same name "You're My Pet" by Yayoi Ogawa. Japan created a live-action drama on June 2003 starred by Jun Matsumoto and Koyuki Kato.  

shiata ~ ENDLESS LOVE (2014)

July 13 ~

title: ENDLESS LOVE
starring: ALEX PETTYFER and GABRIELLA WILDE
release date: February 14, 2014
theme song: PUMPIN BLOOD by NONONO

June 2014 movies watched

Movies I've seen this month of June 2014 ~ further individual movie reviews to follow. 

• YOU'RE MY PET (2011) korean movie 
• Jang Geun-suk 
• PANDORA'S BOOTH (2007) hong kong movie
• Kwan Chi Bun
• Sit Hoi Ki
• SWITCH ~ hong kong 
• Andy Lau