Hachi-One Diver (2008)

Starring:
Mizobata Junpei as Sugata Kentaro
Naka Riisa as Nakashizu Soyo / Ukeshi
Kohinata Fumiyo as Suzuki Hobbito
Yasuda Misako as Muguruma Rika
Date Mikio (伊達みきお) as Kakuta Goro
Tomizawa Takeshi (富澤たけし) as Hidaka Yasuo
Kinoshita Yukina as Tsukishima Misaki
Watanabe Tetsu as Tsukishima Fumio
Guests
Tsuruno Takeshi (つるの剛士) as Kazuya Yoshihide (ep1,9)
Kyo Nobuo as Mamushi (ep2)
David Ito as Katsura (ep2)
Osugi Ren as Jinno Shintaro (ep2-3,6)
Gekidan Hitori as Mojiyama (ep3-5)
Ikeda Tetsuhiro as Iruka Ichiro (ep3,6)
Kyomoto Masaki as Kirino (ep5-7)
Omasa Aya (大政絢) as Sugata Ayumi (ep6)
Hakamada Yoshihiko as Kasuga Kyosuke (ep8)
Oshinari Shugo as Kasuga Tomoya (ep8)
Fuku Matsumi (ふくまつみ) as Mikado (ep9)
Ishibashi Renji as Kirishima Seijuro (ep10)
Toda Naho as Kirishima Nagi (ep10)
Morimoto Leo as the TV drama director (ep11)

Sugata Kentaro used to be one of the most hopeful trainee to be a professional Shogi (Japanese chess) player, but fails at the final test. Now he has become a "Shinkenshi," a gambler who plays Shogi for money, and boasts his 182 wins in a row. But he is devastated when he is beaten completely by a young woman known as "Ukeshi" who takes any challenges and never loses. As Shogi means everything to him, he decides to train himself harder to become the strongest player. Based on a popular comic, this comedy drama is about a young man's exciting journey to reorganize his life through a series of tough challenges in Shogi guided by a mysterious girl. --Fuji Creative


I so totally fell in love with this comedy/drama! It was unique. Quite unique. The story had me at the very beginning to the point I couldn't move from the sofa. I watched it all today. It's only 11 episodes but they are only, roughly, 30 minutes long.

Shogi, the Japanese chess game, has me intrigued enough to give it a go. Problem is....where does one find it in the U.S.? I guess I could find an online beginners game, huh?

The story, even though it rests primarily on the game, is mainly about not giving up on your dreams. To just keep fighting on and not giving up because the road will keep going as long as you do.

I did a check up on Mizobata Junpei. He was in Hana Kimi??? I think I might have to hop through some episodes to see him. It seems once I find a "new" guy...he isn't new. LOL! I was really excited to see him and really believe that he will be in the "in" crowd.

Mizobata Junpei

Tripping (Gen yu den / Shen you qing ren-2006)

Starring:
Bo-lin Chen
Jimmy Hung
Lichun Lee
Tzu-chieh Miao
Ren Osugi
Rena Tanaka

Shaodea is a Japanese girl, living in Taipei with her father. He moved to Taiwan with his wife to start a Chinese herbal medicine shop. Ever since her mother died, Shaodea wants to return to Japan, but her father refuses to give up his dream. One day, after an argument with him, Shaodea goes out with her friends. While breaking in into a museum, the girl is transported back in time to feudal Taiwan. Thinking she’s on a movie set, the girl gets involved in a bank robbery and soon has to run from the authorities. She teams up with Haishon, an attractive young man who became a thief to save the economic crisis of his hometown. Together with a Tao-master, who is transporting 2 zombies back to their ancestral lands, they set off on a fantastic adventure.
Tripping is an exciting cross-cultural collaboration, combining talent from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. There’s something for everyone : a sci-fi love story, hopping corpses, costume drama, evil sorcery and exhilarating kung fu battles. Rena Tanaka (Nin x Nin: Ninja Hattori-kun, the Movie, Summer of Ubume) pulls off an engaging performance as Shaodea. Veteran actor Ren Osugi (Sonatine, Loft, Nightmare Detective) plays her father. And Bo-lin Chen (The Huadu Chronicles : Blade of the Rose, A Chinese Tall Story, Silk) shows off his martial arts skills as Haishon.



I was pleasantly surprised that this movie was as good as it was. I'm not usually fond of Taiwan or Chinese movies. This wasn't the best of movies but it was fun to watch.

Wilson (Bo-lin) Chen isn't gorgeous or extremely handsome. His cinematic charm though makes him something worthwhile to see. His kind face with the athletic body make him more than enough for most teenage girls to fawn over. Okay, I'm waaaaaay passed the teenage years but my heart says different. So I'm fawning over him.

This movie started out well. No skipping in story lines or idiotic ploys to keep you hooked. Some funny moments but not so overly obnoxious that you turn your head out of embarrassment. The follow through of this movie never left me hanging and the sweetest moment at the end tugged my heart. Let's just say that I, for one, really felt the longing of Butterfly's heart for her sweet "thief." The moments between the two were very poignant and sad because we knew she would have to go back to her real time in the end. *I can actually feel my heart getting heavy just thinking about it............*

Rockers (2003)

Rockers

I want this movie so bad....God in Heaven help me!! It has my Tamaki Hiroshi (my first love), Tamayam Tetsuji, and Sato Ryuta. Aaaaaagh! It's no longer published and hard to find. I neeeeeeeed this movie!