Kamen Rider Kuuga (200-2001)

Starring:
Yuusuke Godai/Kamen Rider Kuuga - Joe Odagiri
Kaoru Ichijo - Shingo Katsurayama
Sakurako Sawatari - Kazumi Murata
Oyassan - Kitaro
Minori Godai - Wakana Aoi
Shuichi Tsubaki - Yoshitaka Otsuka
Hikari Enokida - Kaori Mizushima
Nana Asahina - Shio Mizuhara
Jean Michel Sorrel - Serge Vasilov
Mika Natsume - Yuka Takeshima
Sadao Matsukura - Yudai Ishiyama
Morimichi Sugita - Takashi Matsuyama
Go Sakurai - Nobuyuki Yoneyama
Nozomi Sasayama - Eri Tanaka
Hitoshi Kashiwabara - Takashi Kikuchi
Junichi Shiina - Makoto Hatayama
Tatsuhiko Ebisawa - Fujio Mori
Tsurumaru Kameyama - Katsuaki Nishide
Shoji Kanzaki - Takashi Inoue
Keiko Motoshiro - Rie Okada
Atsuko Enokida - Machiko Naka
Sayuru Enokida - Kentaro Niibo
Hiroyuki Yashiro - Yutaro Kamata
Shuto Terashima - Tomoaki Takagi

Long ago, the Grongi Tribe terrorized the Linto until a warrior named Kuuga appeared and defeated the Grongi, sealing their leader within a cave. In present day, a multi-talented man named Yuusuke Godai finds himself linked to the mysterious stoned belt that was found within the escavated cave as the Grongi are ressurected and resume their murderous game on the desandants of the Linto, humanity itself. It is up to Yuusuke, along with the assembled Science Police, to use the various powers of Kuuga in order to stop and defeat the Grongi Tribesmen from their continuous killing and ensure the happiness of others. However, as endgame draws near, Yuusuke learns that there is a horrible revelation behind Kuuga and the Grongis' leader.

OMG! One of the first works from my Joe! He looks so totally different. Actually, the only way I realized who he was..was because of the mole on his chin. After awhile, I got used to looking at him looking so young and different. I'll call him "au naturale". His hair was dark and he actually looked Japanese for the very first time for me. LOL! Is that not weird?

Anyway, on to the review...........

Sad to say, this KR bored the hell out of me until the last 10 episodes....then it started getting interesting. I will say this fell into the KR theory....masked rider on crotch rocket (motorcycle). But the story, which I thought would be interesting....fizzled beyong belief. But I hung on to the end. Why is it that the KR stories don't end with the ultimate happy ending. You know guy gets girl....and they live happily ever after? Damn. I cried at the end. It was "happy" but it didn't fullfill me at all.

I will say the Odagiri Jo, we all know and love, was awesome. The naive and funny Jo is the best. Don't get me wrong. I love him in all of his movies and dramas but when he plays the innocent...well, my heart melts a little bit.

Anyway, this was okay but like I said it bored me. So at this moment, I'm taking a KR break for a while and then will hit Kabuto and Kiva.

Waters (Uotazu/ウォ-タ-ズ-2006)

Starring:
Shun Oguri - Ryohei
Toshinobu Matsuo - Naoto
Takamasa Suga - Yûki
Shingo Katsurayama - Shintaro
Yusuke Kirishima - Masahiko
Hiroyuki Hirayama - Teppei
Ryoji Morimoto - Kenta
Hitomi Manaka - Minako
Sayaka Yamaguchi
Erika Oda
Mitsuho Otani
Rina Takagi
Tatsuo Yamada
Riko Narumi - Chika
Yoshio Harada - Owner

Seven young men desperate for quick money arrive at a desolate seaside bar Dog Days to be auditioned for "hosts" - a highly popular occupation to entertain female patrons with smooth talk and soothing smile while offering drinks at the "host clubs." Although their previous jobs vary from a street performer to an ex-banker, they are all happy to get the dream job easily until they discover that the "manager" has run away with their deposits! Seeing them discouraged, the sympathetic bar owner offers his place to open up a host club by themselves. With the help of his granddaughter Chika, who has a heart disorder, despite their initial confusion mixed with personal problems and a typhoon that almost blew down the place, they gradually find the true meaning of friendship, trust and love.



This was an "okay" movie. It really wasn't all that. The movie really didn't consider the script very well. So it seemed too rushed to fit into the time alloted. I think many things were missing. I didn't understand the relationship with Ryuhei and Minako. I didn't feel that love connection. That was a bust.

I think this was made for Shun-kun and the eye-candy involved. Nothing other than lots of candy-coated sugar but no chocolate, peanuts or caramel. Ya know?

There wasn't really anything good to say about this movie. Too much fluff. Well, again, there was the Shun-kun......................