What is going on

I'm sorry for the lack of posting lately. My workplace has blocked quite a few websites and I'm working on how I can keep updating TGW with interesting things at other times. I will get back to posting more often eventually. Sorry for the delays!

Jmovie review: My Darling is a Foreigner

Title: My Darling is a Foreigner Release date: 4/10/10 Genre: Slice of Life Cast: Inoue Mao, Jonathan Sherr Plot: Saori (Inoue) strives to be a manga artist. She has fallen in love with an American man, Tony (Sherr). This is the story of their relationship. What is good: Inoue Mao is still adorable. What is bad: There isn't a lot of substance. Letter rating: C

I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. I love Inoue Mao and I thought the plot seemed cute. Unfortunately, at the end, I realized that there wasn't a whole lot there. What the movie claims as cultural differences are sometimes just the differences between men and women. At one point, Saori laments that she does all of the housework while Tony does nothing. So, being the nice man that he is, Tony starts washing the dishes and doing the laundry. However, he doesn't really know how to do these things properly. Instead of taking him aside to show him how to do the chores, she just kinda grumbles through it. I don't see this is a cultural difference. I think men all over the world don't know how to wash dishes.

As a matter of fact, there are only a few cultural differences shown. When Saori introduces Tony to her family at her sister's wedding, Tony doesn't understand how the family communicates. The parents jokingly put down their children but Tony doesn't get the joke. It isn't until the end of the movie that he understands her family dynamic.

Despite wanting to enjoy the movie, I found it somewhat boring. It's basically the story of their day-to-day life. If you have nothing better to do, it's not an awful movie to sit through. At least there's the adorable Inoue Mao to save it!

JMovie review: Liar Game: The Final Stage

Title: Liar Game: The Final Stage Release date: 3/6/10 Genre: psychological thriller Cast: Toda Erika, Matsuda Shota Plot: Kanzaki Nao (Toda) and Akiyama Shinichi (Matsuda) have finally reached the final stage of the Liar Game. Will they be able to beat the game and shut it down for good? What is good: Toda Erika's acting has finally reached the level to match Matsuda Shota's. What is bad: The ending was a bit of a letdown. Letter rating: B

I think my biggest problem with this series is how little the plot changes. The players still need to work together in order to beat the game but no one wants to. It's frustrating. It also makes the game's result obvious. In the end, I liked the series. I just would have liked it with a little more variety.

JDorama review: Liar Game 2

Title: Liar Game 2 Broadcast dates: 11/10/09 - 1/19/10 Number of episodes: 9 Genre: psychological thriller Cast: Toda Erika, Matsuda Shota, Kikuchi Rinko Plot: Once again, Kanzaki Nao and Akiyama Shinichi are thrown into the Liar Game. However, their goal is not to obtain the most money. It is to take down the Office and end the Game forever. What is good: It's nice to have an actual rival for Akiyama to deal with. What is bad: The outcome is still predictable. Letter rating: B

This season picks up awhile after the first season ended. Even though there are new players and new challenges, the outcomes are still the same. Since the advertise the Final Stage movie in the very beginning of the show, we already know that Akiyama and Kanzaki will advance to the next rounds. Luckily, the different challenges keep the show entertaining. I wonder what the movie will be like.

An early Happy Independence Day

Thankfully, this is a long weekend. Instead of spending all my time surfing around http://www.sensareviews.net, my family is going on a road rally today. What is a road rally, you ask?

Well, it's a lot like a scavenger hunt via car. The organizer gives you a list of clues that gives you the route you have to follow. It is your job (mostly the job of the passengers) to figure out the clues to give the driver the proper directions. Whoever gets to the end with the best time (it's a timed event with a staggered start) wins. I think this particular one gives prizes for most clues successfully answered. See, you can "win" the route without actually following the real route. They are tons of fun. If you can find one near you, go for it. It's a run way to spend the day with your friends/family.