[fiction] Shattering Glass

"Simon Glass was easy to hate. I guess, really we all hated him for a different reason. But we didn't realize it until the day we killed him."

By Gail Giles



This young adult fiction was amazing to read. It had ingenious qoutes in the beggining of each chapter that played with your mind. Yes the ending was very stated out. But... the way it was.. It was amazing. I didn't mind it at all. The whole idea that sometime, in the book - he would die. And that's basically the one thing that reminded you of it's darkness in the comments on the cover but really, it didn't seem that dark at all.

With little bits of comedy and romance to hide it all. The writing style and qoutes really played with your mind. It was ingenious. Giles is amazing at it. She seemed to be inspired by supply teaching 25 years before. That's quite amazing to remember that in the first place.

The story is about Simon, a geek that no one likes. Everyone pick on him. Until Rob, a newcomer that everyone seems to love -- decides to change Simon, make him popular and well liked. Rob gets help from his crew Young, Bob, and Coop to turn Simon in to prom-king. Simon shows a new confidence as he raises into higher ranks. Rob did not expect this. But when Simong uncovers a dark secret, Rob doesn't hold back.

The story has some comical romance, and of course at the end a sudden change to grimness. Written in Young's view it seems almost perfect that way. It's what made it perfect. To write things in Young's words. Hard to explain, but it made the story amazing.

The title fit. And for me, I was realy emotionally attached. The common words we know are used, we can relate so easily. we can imagine so easily. Just from reading this. And when we're done, and we read all the qoutes. Everything makes sense. You start to get angry, sad, Anything really.

It was really affective.

frig.... you should see how I reacted.

Coop♥Young.

Mark : 10/10

[fiction] The Harrowing

"Do our demons come from without or within us?"

The Harrowing is an beautifully written, successful debut novel from Alexandra Sokoloff. It's an amazing ghost story, that might actually scare you. It's easy to visualize; on the spot, the voices the characters, the expressions, are so swiftly described almost as if, a movie. The plot also, is very interesting, it hooks you, the way everything is revealed. And the real goodie is at the end, the ending is the best thing you could ask for. Again, its as easy to imagine as a movie.

The story follows five unlikely companions--- students of Baird College. Echoing with a spirit, mystery, and over one simple Ouija board, many things can happen. Robin, felt so apart from the world, she thought she was alone. She met misfits during the Thanksgiving weekend, five soon to be friends decided to play with a planchette, but who knows what kind of gateway they're opening. The five find themselves as part of a prank gone wrong – or maybe; a spirit haunting them from the past. Darkness following five students – no one wants it, no one will miss it.

The style of the story, is so modern, so familiar. It seems like ordinary life. The swearing, that the book wouldn't sound natural without, really shows character, understanding, maybe just the quickest way to show a characteristic. It was a page turner, it was scary. It was a thriller and the way everything was portrayed made it very interesting, easy to visulaize, easy to feel and relate to, and way easy to be surprised, shocked scared. From a non-book worm's point of a view, if you read the book non-stop for a while, it would be like you had mood swings, and at one point, digging ur face in the book with interest. The writing style was quick, holding paragraphs at the right time, pausing at the right time, describing even silence, and roaring of air, every action every motion, so simply described -- that it worked.

What I find amazing is that. Seriously this is her first novel. Not really her first work of writing. But this was amazing. She made scripts for movies before, and is part of a Killer Thriller band fro artists in her free time. She was apparently told ghost stories when she was little. And its evident she's good at writing them.

The novel really carried a moral. Only finding light, love, care, in people. Almost like, people are our blades and our bandaids. The searching, finding, including of light really affects the story at the end. It seems very effective. On humans because its so... real. So real yet so fake but, easy to imagine. I guess thats the thril of horror.

The term.. discarded ones. Really seems affective too.

Awards

Nominated for the Horror Writers Association's Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel.

Mark : 10/10

Trailer

[k-horror] Nightmare | Gawi | Horror Game Movie | Scissors

"Kyung-ah brings death, even after being dead herself..."

From the director of APT, this was his first horror I've seen from him. It was made in 2000. To really put this in one word, its.. downright.. gore. Blood.. looks like tomatoe juice.. tastes like - god knows. It is pretty horrific. In fact at one point I didn't want to know how they died basically because the death before was way beyond gruesome. So I basically skipped this little chunk. Haha i'm a little lighthearted sometimes.

Here we have a plot summary directly from wiki (because I haven't watched in since a long time ago):

"Hye-jin's homecoming should have been a joyous occasion. She was especially
happy to see her childhood friend again, the shy Eun-ju. However, when a secret
is revealed, harsh words are exchanged. These words deeply affect Eun-ju and, in
the next scene, we see her plummeting from a 30-story building. In a flashback
provided by Sun-ae, we learn that the ghost of Eun-ju is hunting down all of
Hye-jin's friends and killing them. Is this possible or is a more worldly force
at work? What is this mysterious tape that everyone is asking about?"

It was really... something. In fact I still kind of don't get it. The acting was nice. The movie was pretty fast paced. But.. in the end.. it seemed pretty alright -- just... weird. I guess. It was a good movie in a sense. Not the best.

Even though I watched this first. Iliked APT way better. It is his most recent movie so I don't know. I didn't enjoy this much. Just a little I suppose. The plot twist was pretty cool I guess. And the way people die?

See for yourself. XD.

Mark: 6/10

Credit

Producer - Goh Hyeong

Writer - Ahn Byeong-ki

Cast

Kim Gyu-ri

Choi Jeong-yoon

Ha Ji-won

Yoo Ji-tae

[jdrama] Hanazakari no Kimitachi e

This was a hilarious romantic comedy based on the wonderful manga series with the same name (or Hana-Kimi for English distribution) and I really enjoyed it. Many people would compare it to the Taiwanese version of it. And I only saw little bits of that version and didn't like it at all. Dont know why. It's just... yeah... haha. I'm sure many would agree. I don't want to get into comparing. But I'll make macho amounts of compliments. Every character is so cute. I love their character. That would be like a perfect school life for me. haha as I write this, the ending theme is stuck in my head for some reason.
This shows the basic character connections. But haha no matter how I look at Ashiya, it's a girl.

In a matter of 12 episodes this really was amazing. I have no words for it. It's amazing lalalala.

I can't get enough. The beginning theme is "Ikenai Taiyo" by Orange Range The ending theme song being, "Peach" by Ai Otsuka (the artist we love ♥). A few insert songs are My Love by Kawashima Ai, Boom boom boom by Go Hiromi, Paradise Ginga by Hikaru Genji, Tomaranai Ha~Ha by Yazawa Eikichi, Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne . haha Girlfriend was pretty popular in Japan.. its scary....

*She also sung the song for 'Tada Kimi Wo Aishiteru /Heavenly Forest' "Renai Shashin"

The plot follows Ashiya Mizuki, a young girl in the United States who admires a young athlete named Sano Izumi who competes in the high jump on tv. She idolizes his determination and words. But through complicated events, he stops. And she must go to Japan, got to the same school as him, and convince him. Izumi, however, attends an all-boys school. Mizuki must disguise her self as a boy to get him back on the high jumping sport, where he belongs.

I liked the idea of teamwork, family, and the end.. It made me cry. I loved this. It was quick, beautiful and hell Horikita Maki really fits the role. So does Oguri, he really is... something. He can glare. And lol... now I glare like him XD. The story was so perfect almost. I really loved it. All the drama of a manga such as foot bleedings, surprisings stuff, EH?'s (lol and billions of them). And how can we forget cute little Nakatsu talking to himself. I love that guy XD .

Good actors, good easy to remember Dorms, and hell... big casting probably. I loved it, and ... no offense to Ella. But... let the Japanes dramatize what they made :P. This was so hilarious, so dramatic, and that piano music every now and then. And Nakatsu's nosebleeds♥.

haha damn...

haha.. Taiwanese version... shameful... I'm sorryl XD.

Mark: 10/10 (lol)

lol too much casting....

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Cast (main)

Horikita Maki as Ashiya Mizuki

Oguri Shun as Sano Izumi

Ikuta Toma as Nakatsu Shuichi

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Credits

*All artists*

Original writing by Nakajo Hisaya

Screenwriting by Muto Susumuware, Yamaura Masahiro

Produced by Goto Hiroyuki (Fuji TV), Moriyasu Aya (Kyodo TV)

Directed by Matsuda Hidetemo, Tsuzuki Junishi, and Sato Genta

Music by Kono Shin, Takami Yu, and Shida Hirohide (producer)

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Episode Titles

Ep 01: Getting into the Forbidden Boys' Dormitory
Ep 02: Wrong Kiss
Ep 03: Bizarre Big Brother
Ep 04: Dangerous Three-Person Room
Ep 05: Hopeless Coast Story
Ep 06: The Beginning of Stormy Love
Ep 07: Suddenly in Bed
Ep 08: I Like Mizuki
Ep 09: Exposed!
Ep 10: Depend On Me
Ep 11: I'll Jump for You
Ep 12: We'll Protect You

Broadcast (june - sept 2007)

[t-horror] Alone | แฝด | Faed

"We promised to be together forever."

Alone is one of the sickest horror movies. Made none other than the makers of "The Shutter" which trust me, was hella creepy too. (first horror movie I watched). The main character is Marcha Wattanapanich. (leave it to a couple thai names to fill up a movie review, seriously).

The story follows Pim. She was born as a conjoined twin with her sister Ploy. When the twins had an operation after spending years conjoined, even through childhood, Ploy dies during it. But Pim survives. Years later, refreshed in South Korea, Pim gets a phone call from Thailand. Her mother has had a stroke. Pim returns to Thailand, where she stays in her childhoos home. Having memories of Ploy, and painfully, feeling her coming back. What has Pim done to deserve this? What happened in her past?

The story seems a little typical minus the twins. But it really is amazing. At first I expected soemthing, but it really turned out great. It was very very veryyy dark. What I really mean is. The video it self. It usually took place in the dark. (do blackouts happen in thailand like they happen in india?). If that was the case.. I think I would keep the flashlight near me...

I'll be comparing alot to "The Shutter". The music, wasn't as freaky as the Shutter. It really helped. Especially half way through the movie. Wow. I was taking a couple pics of the scenes. And I was just WAITING. I love this movie. It was very dark. Hard to see somethings. But I find it cool how you can look and just see the clues. You'll see.

Theres a mild spoiler here.....The twist near to the end was really something. And that poor Wee. That guy has one psycho girlfriend now....

[lol holy shit right?]

The movie makes many trips to the past. It makes it obvious that Pim was always number one, caring, great smile, pretty, loved and loving. And Ploy was more like the little sister. She was very depressed, envious. She seemed a little corrupted too. And its weird how opinions on who deserved sympathy change drastically in a matter of seconds. Ban jong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom really did some good stuff here with when to put flashbacks. It's so simple, and unnoticeable. The timings seem so perfect. They always find ways to scare you. Really. It's amazing.

This movie won awards. I really liked it myself. It's really different. Scary, and more or less directed by these two horror geniuses. I like these two, made me fond of thai food XD.

The movie was really different. I liked the idea of conjoined twins, I loved the twist. And most of all I loved how thrilling it was. Damnit it was terrifying. Weird what humans watch for fun O.o now that you think about it...

Extra Crap/Info (samething)


The movie is getting an Indian remake. I find that really weird. There's obviously gonna be a U.S. remake. I didn't like the Shutter remake that came out in March. I dont expect much.

As for Marsha, I scooped up some hilarious info on her experiences. You see, she hasn't acted for 15 years, and people are really used to seeing her sexy and glammed up. She's a Thai singer. And sang the ending song for this very movie. If you want to read this info:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webblog/view_blog.php?uid=295&bid=2087

haha. pretty cool [scroll down to see the stuff] Marsha's really into it. (lmfao)

The ending theme was really nice. And the ending itself. It was even better. The fire seemed very intense. They built it all up. And had to burn it down. It was a pretty house though ^_^;; .

Ever wanna check out the site here you are:

http://www.alone-themovie.com/

----------------------- :
Mark : 10/10 (forever):
----------------------- *

Trailer

you know you love it already.

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Cast

Marsha Wattanapanich as Pim/Ploy
Vittaya Wasukraipaisan as Wee
Ruchanu Boonchooduang as Pim's and Ploy's mother
Hatairat Egereff as Pim, age 15
Rutairat Egereff as Ploy, age 15
Chutikan Vimuktananda as Pim, age 7
Chayakan Vimuktananda as Ploy, age 7
Namo Tongkumnerd as Wee, age 15
-----

Credits

Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun & Parkpoom Wongpoom
Produced by Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, Yodphet Sudsawad, Mingmongkol Sonakul
Cinematography by Niramon Ross

~Watch it*!

[jdrama] 15歳のブルース | 15 year old's blues

"1+1+1+1 equals what?"

This was a project from Fuji's Division 1 Stage 13. From what I know, it's stragety to pick up new screenwriters and talents. Look into it more on wikipedia (lol).

This was really cool to watch. It seemed a little awkward but hey, it was hilarious, touching, realization stuff, school, courage finding, love lessons, with family and the girl you like all cramped up in the best 4 episodes anything can be cramped into.

Seriously, this was amazing. The hip-hop singer ZEEBRA (who also sang the theme song).

The story follows Sanada Kohei, in his third year of junior high, silently likes a girl, bullied by three classmates who likes the girl he does, and along with that unfortunate school life, Kohei isn't very good with grades. His family could've been his only comfort, but they aren't great people either. No one cares about eachother. His only friends, are flowers. His room, is filled with many potted flowers which he cares for.

Kohei has already gone through tons of tutors by the time we catch up to him. And of course ZEEBRA singer jumps in as a tutor at that point. Shunsaku isn't notmal, perverted, throws Kohei around. Especially when Kohei has problems. But in the end, Shunsaku is what changes Kohei, his life, his love, his courage, his family, and him.

I found it a little awkward at some points. I wasn't too sure why. It was very cute and short, very sweet though. And I enjoyed it.

Mark: 9/10

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Cast

Zeebra as Umekawa Shunsaku
Tegoshi Yuya as Sanada Kohei (awww)
Iwasa Mayuko as Sanada Yukari
Higashi Ayu as Moriyama Sakie
Chiyo Shota as Asakawa Makio

-----
Credits

Screenwriter - Oona Toshiya
Producer - Azuma Kouji
Director - Azuma Kouji

Broadcast period (in 2005 so dont worry lol)

[jromance] Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru | Heavenly Forest

"Was there a little love in that kiss?"

This movie was certainly a beauty. The end was a little incomplete. And it did affect the movie. But I liked it. It was cute. All movies with Aoi Miyazaki are.

On the day of his university entrance ceremony, shutterbug Makoto (Tamaki) meets a fresh-faced, quirky girl named Shizuru (Miyazaki). He has a complex which causes him to shy away from contact with other people, but she succeeds in getting him to open up to her naturally. All Shizuru wants is to be with Makoto, so she takes up a camera too. The two spend their days together taking photos in the forest behind the campus.

However, Makoto has feelings for another student named Miyuki (Kuroki Meisa). Shizuru decides that if Makoto likes Miyuki, she wants to like her too. She wants to like everything that he does. One day, she tells Makoto that she wants to take a photo of them kissing in the forest for a competition. He obliges for her sake, and they kiss in the forest for the first time. However, from that day on, Shizuru disappears from Makato’s life…

This story was memorable. And the theme, being Ai Otsuka's "Renai Shashin" (the scene of love) really fits in with all this. Especially the Japanese title beign in the song Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru.

This movie was very adorable and had this great feeling to it. Easy sadness, easy telling. The acting was very nice. And thats when it hit me


Aoi Miyazaki?? Same as the one in last years Virgin Snow? SERIOUSLY?

lol.. i didnt know... ><. But anyways, It was fun to watch with company as well. :). The story seemed a little rushed, the end i mean. But everything else was just perfect.

Mark: 7/10

Trailer




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Cast

Aoi Miyazaki as Shizuru Satonaka
Hiroshi Tamaki as Makoto Segawa
Munetaka Aoki as Ryo Shirohama
Keisuke Koide as Kyohei Skiguchi
Meisa Kuroki as Kiyuki Toyama
Asae Oonishi as Yuka Yaguchi
Misa Uehara as Saki Inoue

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Credits

Directed by Takehiko Shinjo
Writen By Yakuji Ichikawa (novel), Kenji Bando (screenplay)

Released - 28 October 2006 (Tokyo)

[kmovie] Virgin Snow

*edit

Second time reviewing this thing because damn it's that good. I watched it like a couple seconds ago. (That's right it's so good, that I saved it onto my computer). Lot's of romance and beauty.

If you watch it a couple times, you pay attention to the symbolism. Really, it's all so great. Honestly, no matter how much I try to describe how nice this movie is I fail anyway (haha). Yes everyone. It's that good!.

The plot follows Min, who has to live in Japan for a while. He's from Soeul, South Korea. He doesn't know much japanese, but when he falls on his bike and meets the girl of his dreams in a local shrine. Her name is Nanae and she is an aspiring painter. Despite the language barriers and what-not, they maintain an intense and (cute) loving relationship. Min's grandmother suddenly faints and asks him to come visit her. His granmother soon heals and when he rushes back to Japan to meet Nanae once more, he's puzzled as she's not there anymore. She's left without a word.

It's sad at times. What I love is that, no matter what; love is universal. Right? One from Seoul one from Kyoto. Made me cry. It's cute. Makes me smile too.

Good job with the Korean/Japanese criss-cross guys: everytime someone asked me what movie I was watching I had to say "you wouldn't know it's Korean/Japanese." Yep yep. I watch this movie because it makes me realize that through all the sadness and pain, there can be one thing just one little thing that makes you feel complete.

Amazing isn't it?

I'll keep watching this over and over :). It's a classic.

Mark: 10/10

Trailer



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Cast

Lee Jun Ki as Kim-min
Aoi Miyazaki as Sasaki Nanae
Kimiki Yo
Otoha
Ayaka Morita
Shun Shioya
Miyu Yagyu
Lee-hwan as Kim Do-hyeon

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Credits

Directed by Han San -hye
Produced by Jonathan Kim
Written by Kazuhiko Ban
Music by Jyong Jae-hwan, Naotaro, Moriyama

Release date : November 1st 2007

[k-chickflick] 200 pounds of beauty

"Girls with plastic surgery aren't pretty, they're monsters"

This movie was really something. I liked the whole idea of it. The qoute up there says it all doesnt it?

200 Pounds of Beauty follows Kang Ha-na and her phone sex and her secret backstage singing carrer. Hana is loved for her voice, never for her looks. She sings for someone else, a pretty girl known as Amy. Sang-jun (the director of her performances) is the love of her life but she knows that the way she looks will not win his heart. One day, she decides to get plastic surgery and becomes a star none other than Jenny. But who knows what will happen from there?

The whole concept of this movie was really nice. It was hilarious in its own ways and sometimes you just wanted to shout at Hana and tell her she was amazing. The story really pulls in friendship and being pretty. It's not all about that. If you think too much about what you look like to the point where you're fake, you're ugly only then. I liked this idea. I really did. First plastic surgery movie I've seen. It was really funny. I enjoyed it.

One hell of a great chick flick. Watch it, you better.

Mark: 9/10



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Cast

Kim Ah-jung as Kang Han-na
Ju Jin-mo as Sang-jun
Kim Yong-geon
Song Dong-il
Lim Hyeon-shik
Lee Han-wi
Kim Hyeon-sook
Park No-shik
Park Gok-ji

-----
Credits

Directed by Kim Yong-hwa
Written by Kim Yong-hwa, No Hye-yeong, and Suzuki Yumiko

Release Date - December 14 2006

[fiction] The Last Chinese Chef

Nicole Mones really illustrates, life and its connections to the comfort of food. More or less, food from somewhere so different. This book outlines a life of lonliness and a life of rebirth. Of course, starting with a simple task. And like love, it blooms. Love for food, love for family, love for one person. This book is about rebirth.

Nicole Mones has some vast knowledge of China. It's obvious really. She went to China for a textile buisiness after the Cultural Revolution, which she tends to mention alot in this book. Her work is printed in eleven languages and has won a number of awards. After eight years of the textile buisness she turned to writing about China. And here she presents us with the best chinese cookbook you'll ever find.

The story follows a widowed food writer named Maggie. When she is introduced to a paternity claim against her late husband, she is forced to go to Beijing and sort things out. When she asks her magazing known as Table for time off, they reply to her with an assignment, to profile the rising culinary chef Sam Liang. Her time there is spent mostly with him, and she soon finds her self drawing closer to the food, the family, and Sam himself. They learn to brighten her up, refresh her, and she is like a woman coming home, except many miles farther.

Mones discription of the food in this book is very explicit and very talented. By talented I mean, the way she describes it is so good that you want to eat it right then and there. The way she describes the characters seem very well. You are told that Maggie has curly hair and shes skinny. Simple. maybe freckled and maybe sharp. But that's all you imagine. And the writing itself, so beautiful the way it turns back, sees people's emotions looks at different views of people without actually saying who it is. It's amazing.

I think people would be affected quite well with this story. I mean c'mon edivently chinese food is not only about the chicken, the shrimp, white rice and noodles you get at take-out. Mentioned many times in the story, chinese chinese is nothing like chinese american. People would really think of China as something exotic, even more than they already do. It would really refresh them

What I find extremely interesting is the untold but "you want it to happen" love between Sam and Maggie. It seems so wrong, yes. But, it has to happen. What also got me hooked on was the descriptions of the delicious food (haha). I think its amazing. The Last Chinese Chef is really no failure. It seems so strange to have gourmet as an important element in the story. But when you see it now, it seems so perfect. I really enjoyed this, couldn't stop reading. (cool cover too haha). Yep this really is, the best chinese cook book you'll ever find.

Mark: 10/10

[youtube crap] Huevo Splash & Lucky Star OP kh style

lmfao, this made my day. Check out kh stupid files too if you want.



also, the Lucky Star Opening, kh style.


Props to the person who took their time to do this lol. wowww

Check out those two. And if you want have fun with caramelldansen or whatever u call it XD.

[k-horror] 9:56 | APT

Just finished seeing this movie. It's called 9:56. Also called Apartment.

The middle of this movie obviously was the best. I really loved it. It took a while, but after a while, you can really know whats going on . Man that cracky sound, and that awesome scary ass thing in the beginning was really something. I really enjoyed this movie. It was pretty dark. But I just love those movies where the characters figure out these awesome things. Yeah its sick.

Oh se jin, finds herself investigating the flickering lights of apartments across from her tiny little apartment. She seems not too social. And soon finds herself spying on her neighbours. Soon, it is uncovered that these flickering lights at 9:56 lead to deaths in the other apartment. And so, like that the mystery unravels.

Yep, you can tell this is worth watching. In a way it was downright creepy. The gloominess, the awareness, and the dark corners life bring us to are suddenly reintroduced to you.

I really loved how she managed to figure it out like that . Like i said before, I love that stuff. The acting was alright. And it was a little scary. I really loved the story of it.

I think the person who acted as Oh Se-jin was a little off (Ko So Young). But I think it was alright. Also, the ending ruined it a little.

It was a good movie. But the ending ruined it a little.

-----
Cast
Ko So Young ... Oh Se Jin
Jang Hie Jin - Yoo Yeons


Director Ahn Byung Ki
Writer Ahn Byung Ki, Pool Kang,Lee So Yeong
--------

Mark: 8/10

[movie] CLANNAD

This was amazing.

Yep, this was really something. I don't watch much anime lately, but this was real nice. I didn't really like the style. But after a while. Man this was great. I saw the movie, not the anime. Of course, I enjoy the quality of the anime better.

90 minutes of sweetness. It's based on the anime, and I'm sure it's way faster. The dreams were amazing, how they connected, how they were described. The style was different from the anime I beleive. Ah well, it's anime. Comes in different shapes and flavours. This one was sweet. I loved it.

Tomoya Okazaki is a third year highschool student. His life seems the same, nightmares of lonliness and pain that leave him awake sweating in the middle of the night and a father, who ruined his basketball dreams. He meets a girl, devoted sweet, who follows him as he walks up the hill to school. Her name is Nagisa, and she brings a new light to his world. His life is reborn because of her. Mainly discovers it through the school play.

What I loved was the story and concept of this movie. I liked the atmosphere as well. It's kinda funny too. I really enjoyed it. and the ending... omg i love that ending. Her voice was so annoying at first. But ah well, I got used to it. Turned out to suit her little fun giggles very well.

The whole movie was nice, short sweet, maybe perfect. It was enjoyable.

Directed by - Osamu Dezaki
Written by - Makoto Nakamura

Mark: 8/10