Mystery Arena - A Combination of Game Quiz and Whodunit Mystery that Might be too Weird in General

There were not that many options to watch on streaming services during the past few days as they were mostly ongoing series or movie that I was not that interested in. When I found this one on Prime Video which I was not exactly sure when it was released, I thought the premise sound intriguing. Anyway I actually tried to watch on Friday night but somehow was too sleepy and only continued & finished it last night. Without further ado, here's more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

Set in the year 2036, twenty years after pandemic that ruined the lives of people and newborn babies, a quiz was held annually by its host Kabayama (Karasawa Toshiaki - 24 Japan TV series, 20th Century Boys films etc) where contestants were given murder mystery case to be solved live on TV giving the winner a huge money prize. The contestants of this year's quiz were disgraced researcher Edison (Nomaguchi Toru - AARO TV series, Faking Beethoven etc), orphan girl Ichiko (Ashida Mana - The Greatest Teacher TV series, Under the Stars etc), mystery novelist Ano (Asano Yuko -  Kura, The 8-Tomb Village etc) and three men with nicknames of Gambler (Suzuki Nobuyuki - Song of the Samurai TV series, Tokyo Revengers etc), Legend (Tamayama Tetsuji - Jigen Daisuke, Warau Matroshka TV series etc), and Unlucky Guy (Okuno So - Cosmetic Playlover TV series, The Setting Sun etc).

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc - Wonderful Story Combined with Great Action Animation that Would Make You Like Denji Even Better

When this movie was released in Indonesian cinemas, I was still having a long overseas holiday trip with my wife and did not have the chance to see it after I returned. So I had to wait till it's available via online streaming. Few days ago, it was finally released in Catchplay+, albeit with a premium special price. Anyway yesterday I decided to watch it. OK here's more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

After the events of the first season, Denji (Toya Kikonosuke) was assigned by his boss Makima (Kusunoki Tomori) with a new temporary partner, the devil Beam (Hanae Natsuki) while Power (Ai Fairouz) was having her excess blood drained. Meanwhile Aki Hayakawa (Sakata Shogo) was working together with Angel Devil (Uchida Maaya).

Demon City - A Very Dark and Violent Revenge-driven Movie Based on Japanese Manga

When I saw this movie in the Coming Soon section of Netflix and its cool looking poster, I was interested to give it a try. But as I was finishing another series, I only got the chance to watch this last night, 3 days after its release. So how was the film then? Let's find out more, shall we?

Brief Story Line

Shuhei Sakata (Toma Ikuta - Hanamizuki, Beyond Goodbye TV series etc) was a professional hitman who informed his handler Fujita (Taro Sugura - Tokyo Swindlers TV series etc) that he wanted to retire and live peacefully with his family. Unfortunately for him, a group of masked men murdered them and pinned the crime to Sakata by showing that he committed suicide.  

Faceless - A Critical Acclaimed Movie Based on Hit Novel Which Sadly did not Truly Resonate with Me as Casual Audience

Like any other Friday, I was looking forward to new film released on Netflix. Yesterday it was a Japanese 2024 movie which looked interesting from its synopsis. So after doing my usual things after work, I immediately watched this. OK I'll just get on with it then.

Brief Story Line

Keiichi Kaburagi (Ryusei Yokohama - Usogui, Cursed in Love TV series etc) was a convicted criminal who escaped from prison and tried to hide himself while looking for ways to find proof of his innocence. He was being pursued by Detective Matanuki (Takayuki Yamada - Land of Tanabata TV series, The Naked Director TV series etc) who was being pushed by his superiors to capture Kaburagi urgently as it became national headline.

Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram - The Latest Movie in the Long Running and Hugely Popular Manga Series

If you have seen my previous posts, you would know that my wife and I are major fans of Detective Conan. So once again we got the chance to see this latest movie in the cinema. It was another movie marathon day for us as we were planning to see another film after this in what had been a very busy weekend for us. Without further ado, here's a little bit more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

Conan (Minami Takayama), Hattori Heiji (Ryo Horikawa) and Detective Kogoro (Rikiya Koyama) together with the police were guarding a couple of swords owned by Takuzo Onoe (Hiroshi Naka) which were targeted by Kaito Kid (Kappei Yamaguchi). The place was located in Hakodate, Hokkaido where Heiji was supposed to join Kendo tournament. Kazuha (Yuko Miyamura) who was Heiji's love interest also went to Hakodate to give him support, together with Ran (Wakana Yamazaki).

New Dimension! Crayon Shinchan the movie: Battle of Supernatural Powers ~Flying Sushi~ - The First 3D CG Movie with Story that would Please Fans of the Series

When my wife found out there was going to be a new Shin-chan movie in the theater, she was ecstatic as she is a big fan of this character. So when it was released on Friday, we decided to see it on the day after. OK then, let's get more into it.

Brief Story Line

On a clear night in Japan, two lights from outer space somehow reached the earth. While the dark light entered into the body of a jobless and bitter man named Mitsuru Hiriya (Tori Matsuzaka - Samurai Sentai Shinkenger TV series etc), the white light entered into Shinnosuke Nohara aka Shin-chan (Yumiko Kobayashi) the kindergarten kid. Apparently the lights gave both of them super power which Mitsuru used to wreak havoc but Shin-chan used to play around.

Godzilla Minus One - A Kaiju Movie with Interesting Story and Well Created Visual Effects

I have known about this movie for quite some time and was a bit confused why it did not play in Indonesian theaters. Fortunately after months of release in Japan and various other countries, it was finally available in Netflix. Since I was finishing another series earlier, I only watched this yesterday. OK, I'll get right to it then.

Brief Story Line

Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki - Your Name, xxxHolic etc) was a former kamimaze pilot who had survivors guilt after returning home safely to Tokyo when the World War II ended in 1945. He met with Noriko (Minami Hamabe - The Promised Neverland, Ranman TV series etc), a young woman carrying a baby girl who also survived the Tokyo bombing and they all later lived together like a family. Due to difficulty in looking for well paid jobs, Shikishima finally decided to be part of crew on board a small vessel captained by Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki - Hancho TV series etc) and other crews, former Naval officer Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka - Dr. Coto's Clinic TV series, Fukushima 50 etc) and young crewman Mizushima (Yuki Yamada - Pending Train TV series, High & Low movies etc) doing dangerous work of sweeping mines left from war.

Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window - A Lovely Anime Movie Based on the Successful Autobiographical Novel

When my wife found out there was going to be this movie released in certain Indonesian cinemas, she was excited and wanted to see it as soon as it was available. However, we did not realize it had a special one day screening two weeks ago and were to late to catch it. So once it was finally having its premier date few days ago, we decided to see the movie last Saturday, after we saw another film. All right, let's get to it then.

Brief Story Line

Story was set in the 1940s Japan about a very young girl named Tetsuko Kuroyanagi nicknamed Totto-chan (voiced by Liliana Ono) who was too active and did not really fit in in public schools. Totto-chan's mother (Anne Watanabe - Tokyo MER: The Movie, Japan Sinks: People of Hope TV series etc) and father (Shun Oguri - Godzilla Vs Kong, Weathering With You etc) were relieved when she was finally accepted in a unique elementary school called Tomoe Gakuen managed by its principal Mr. Kobayashi (Koji Yakusho - Perfect Days, The Days TV series etc) and the teacher Miss Oishi (Karen Takizawa).

City Hunter - Another Live Action Adaptation of the Hugely Popular 1980s Manga

I have seen this movie in the upcoming section of Netflix for quite some time and was looking forward to watch it. So once it was finally released two days ago, I immediately gave it a try. Without further ado, let's get right on it.

Brief Story Line

Ryo Saeba (Ryohei Suzuki - Tokyo MER: The Movie, The Emperor's Cook TV series etc) and his partner Makimura (Masanobu Ando - The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill, Sukiyaki Western Django etc) were asked to find a missing person named Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura). While pursuing a lead, they found that Kurumi was involved in drugs that made people do erratic behavior. The case was also being investigated by the police, led by Detective Saeko (Fumino Kimura - Seven Secretaries: The Movie etc).

The Boy and the Heron - The Latest Studio Ghibli's Production and Highly Praised Work by Hayao Miyazaki

When my wife and I found out there was going to be a new movie from Studio Ghibli, we were eager to see it. But we only got the chance to do so yesterday after it was released few days ago. We decided to see the film in the cinema where the picture and sound quality was better than others. OK, I'll get right at it then.

Brief Story Line

Set in the year 1943, the 12 year old Mahito (Soma Santoki) had moved with his father Soichi (Takuya Kimura - Long Vacation TV series, Hero etc) to a big house in the country side belonged to his wife's younger sister Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura - Masquarade Night etc). 

Tokyo MER: The Movie - A Much Bigger Rescue Mission with More at Stake for the Beloved MER Team

I read that there would be a new Japanese movie to be released in certain cinemas this week and found out that it was based on TV series which is available on Disney+. My wife had already watched the full season and recommended me to see it as she loved it. So I immediately began watching the series few days ago and completed on Friday night, just in time before I saw the movie yesterday. All right then, I will get to the movie now.

Brief Story Line

The Tokyo Mobile Emergency Room (MER) program initiated by Governor Akatsuka (Yuriko Ishida - Princess Mononoke, Contrail TV series etc) two years before was quite a success despite the reckless behavior of its team leader Kota Kitami (Ryohei Suzuki - Segodon TV series, Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai etc). This was due to the great cooperation among the team members that consisted of Dr. Hina (Ayami Nakajo - Love You as the World Ends TV series, Setoutsumi etc), the anesthesiologist Dr. Fuyuki (Shinya Kote - Shinigami San TV series etc), Nurse Natsume (Nanao - Masquarade Hotel etc), Nurse Minh (Phuongchi), medical engineer Tokumaru (Hayato Sano - Usogui etc) and new joinee Dr. Shiomi (Jesse Lewis). 

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes - Lovely Animation Movie that Managed to Combine Fantasy Element and Sweet Romance

When I noticed there was a new anime movie shown in the theaters few days ago and read the interesting premise, I asked my wife to join me in seeing this yesterday. We caught the earliest show available at 11AM so we have more time to enjoy ourselves after. All right, let's get to it then.

Brief Story Line

Kaoru Tohno (Oji Suzuka - Listen to the Universe etc) was a high school student living in a small city who mostly kept to himself. In the city, there was an urban legend of the existence of Urashima tunnel that could grant the wish of people entering it, but with dire consequence. 

When Tohno unexpectedly found what he believed to be the tunnel, he decided to give it a go. However, his life was turned upside down with the appearance of new girl in school named Anzu Hanashiro (Marie Iitoyo - Love You as the World Ends TV series etc).

In Love and Deep Water - A Romance Drama Movie with a Bit of Murder Mystery Element

As usual I would check on new movies on Netflix every Friday and noticed this Japanese film that was actually released a day before. It was something of interest to me due to its premise involving mystery.  OK, I'll get right to it now.

Brief Story Line

Ubukata (Ryo Yoshizawa - Kingdom, Tokyo Revengers movies etc) was working as butler in a large cruise ship under Captain Yabuchi (Yoh Yoshida - Hero, Flying Colors TV series etc). In their latest journey, there were plenty of passengers like the Kuruma family that consisted of the father Dr. Sohei (Hatsunori Hasegawa), his son Michihiko (Ken Yasuda) & his wife Misaki (Saki Takaoka) and their daughter Rena (Rumika Oogai).

Jigen Daisuke - A Stylish Action Movie Based on Character from the Famous Lupin the 3rd Manga Series

This new movie on Prime Video was released two days ago but as I already decided to watch another film on different streaming platform, I only watched it yesterday. I was interested as this looked like one of those nice action genre. Anyway I'll get straight to it now.

Brief Story Line

Daisuke Jigen (Tetsuji Tamayama - Ajin: Demi Human, Samurai Gourmet TV series etc) was the legendary gunman who had been going around the world for years. But when he felt his gun no longer had the best aim, Daisuke was told to search for the rumored best Gunmaker in the world located in small town in Japan. However, Daisuke's plan went awry when he finally met with Yaguchi (Mitsuko Kusabue - Miyamoto Musashi etc) who instead of repairing his gun, requested him to help a young girl named Oto (Kotoka Maki - Burn the House Down TV series etc).

Once Upon a Crime - Definitely not Your Typical Fairy Tale Movie and with Proper Execution, Might Even be More Entertaining

As mentioned in my earlier post, I felt fortunate that Netflix can still be accessed in other countries which made it possible for me to watch movies and series while I am on holiday abroad. I already had my eyes on this movie due to its interesting premise since I was in Jakarta few weeks ago. So I was pleased to have the chance to see it yesterday, albeit few days late. All right then, let's get on with it.

Brief Story Line

When Little Red Riding Hood (Kanna Hashimoto - Gintama, One Page Love TV series etc) grew up, she decided to go on an adventure to have experience in life. One day she met with the poor Cinderella (Yuko Araki - Million Yen Women TV series, See Hear Love etc) who had been abused by her step sisters and their mother. Red Riding Hood decided to accompany Cinderella to the ball that was held by the King (Jiro Sato - The Fable: The Killer Who doesn't Kill etc) to find a wife for Prince Gilbert (Takanori Iwata - High & Low movies, Sherlock: Untold Stories TV serie etc).

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead - The Live Version Movie Adaptation of Popular Manga Series

I did not know anything about this movie and only realize its existence when I scroll through new movies on Netflix last night. Apparently it was released the day before so it was still very brand new. After reading the synopsis and watching its trailer, I decided to give it a try as it looked interesting. All right, I will head to it then.

Brief Story Line

Akira Tendo (Eiji Akaso - Kamen Rider Build, Super Rich drama series etc) was a young man who thought he got his dream job working for a commercial production company. Turned out it was his worst nightmare as he worked under bullying boss Kosugi (Kazuki Kitamura - Hell Dogs: In the House of Bamboo, Kill Bill Vol. 1 etc). His only solace was he had a crush on one of his senior Ohtori (Yui Ichikawa - Ju-On: The Grudge 2, Nana etc) who was kind towards him. Akira's best friend Kencho (Shuntaro Yanagi - Tokyo Seimenjo drama series etc) also told him to quit his job.

Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine - A Fantastic Detective Conan Movie with Some Strong Emotions Involved

So another Detective Conan movie was released in Indonesian theaters few days ago. Like any other previous films, we definitely want to see this in the cinema even though we knew it would not take long before it is available via online streaming. That is how much we love this series. It's a good thing too that the movie was shown on all cinema chains, so we have more options to choose.  All right, we'll get right to it then.

Brief Story Line

Conan (Minami Takayama), Ai (Megumi Hayashibara) and the Detective Boys went for a trip to see the whales with Sonoko (Naoko Matsui) who owned a hotel on the island. They were also accompanied by Professor Agasa (Kenichi Ogata), Ran (Wakana Yamazaki) and her father Kogoro (Rikiya Koyama).

Suzume - Makoto Shinkai did it Again!

So this movie was getting a lot of hype in various social media and even the director's name was trending for a while in Indonesia when it was released on Wednesday. But as it was now increasingly challenging for me to see a movie on weekdays, I decided to see this one last night.  My wife was willing to accompany after I convinced her this would likely be a great movie as it was directed by Makoto Shinkai. OK then, let's get right to the movie.

Brief Story Line

Suzume (Nanoka Hara - Night Doctor TV series etc) was a high school girl living in the small town of Kyushu with her aunt Tamaki (Eri Fukatsu - Survival Family etc) since 4 years old. One day as she was going to school, she met with a guy later on revealed to be Souta (Hokuto Matsumura - xxxHolic etc) who was looking for a door in ruins. Suzume would then be caught up in something that Souta had been doing for some time and she had no choice but to help him close doors across Japan to avoid disasters.

The Promised Neverland - Live Adaptation of Critically Acclaimed and Successful Manga Series

While people were talking about the latest Zombie series in HBO, I opted to watch this movie instead which was released just few days ago. I was interested in watching this as it seemed interesting from its trailer (not the synopsis as it did not hint anything at all). Anyway, let's get to it now.

Brief Story Line

In a special orphanage called Grace Field House, a lot of children were taken care there till they reached certain age and would be adopted. Emma (Minami Hamabe - Ajin: Demi Human, Love Me, Love Me Not etc), Norman (Rihito Itagaki) and Ray (Jyo Kairi) were the most intelligent of them and always scored high in their tests. This made them became the favorites of the caretaker known as Mum (Keiko Kitagawa - The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Your Home is My Business! TV series etc).

Hell Dogs: In The House of Bamboo - Gritty Japanese Thriller Based on Novel by Akio Fukamachi

Of all the new releases in Netflix yesterday, this one caught my attention as it seemed like a gritty movie with an interesting plot. Plus I was also familiar the main stars of this Japanese movie. So I decided to watch this one ahead of other options. OK let us get to it then.

Brief Story Line

Goko Idezuki (Junichi Okada - The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill, Memory etc), was a former police officer who was assigned to work undercover in the Yakuza. In order to infiltrate, he had to approach one of the Yakuza member Muro (Kentaro Sakaguchi - Signal: Long-Term Unsolved Case Investigation Team, The Last 10 Years etc) who was said to be compatible with Goro and part of an elite group called Hell Dogs.