Category Archives: Japanese Manga

Kim Moo Yeol Shares that Hoobae Heo Nam Joon Texted Him Thrilled for Their Mutual Success with Recent Dramas Teach You a Lesson and My Royal Nemesis

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Awwww, what a great story to share and makes me love these two even more. K-actor Kim Moo Yeol is having a huge career leveling up this week after his K-drama Teach You a Lesson has turned into a hit on Netflix. It’s gotten predominately great reviews and is topping the international show chart on Netflix in dozens of countries. … Continue reading →

Han Ji Min in Discussions to Join Lee Byung Hun in Prestige Thriller K-drama The Koreans

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I don’t know if the big budget A-lister prestige K-dramas are still a sure bet after last year saw a few do less than stellar. The biggest disappointment is probably political thriller Polaris (The Tempest) with Jeon Ji Hyun and Kang Dong Won, and production is still going forward with The Koreans a remake of the US series The Americans. … Continue reading →

OCN Drama The Uncanny Counter the First to Break 10% Ratings, Gets 2nd Season, and Cast Featured in Cine21 Pictorial

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There is so much to celebrate and be proud of and it the biggest surprise of the last month has got to be OCN drama The Uncanny Counter. It airs on the smallest of the three notable cable networks and features a main cast without any big name stars. But it’s been a hit for the network since the premiere … Continue reading →

Demon Slayer Anime Movie Becomes Japan’s #1 All Time Box Office Hit as Talk Goes to Live Action Adaptation with Casting News Spoilers

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Over Christmas 2020 the anime movie Demon Slayer: Infinity Train (Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train) surpassed Spirited Away to become the #1 box office hit in Japan. Along the way it passed Your Name and Titanic as well, and honestly even I am surprised despite being a Demon Slayer mega fan. Spirited Away is my favorite Miyazaki movie and honestly … Continue reading →

Poster and Trailer for Upcoming J-movie Adaptation of Popular 90’s Manga Marmalade Boy

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I can’t believe it’s been over thirty years (!!!) since shoujo manga Marmalade Boy came out. It’s actually still readable though the drawing style may seem too quaint for those who prefer the current renderings, this is actually my manga generation so my preferred drawing style that is clean and wholesome. An upcoming J-movie adaptation is headed to the theaters … Continue reading →

Yamazaki Kento Transforms into Classic Manga Character for Movie Adaptation of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

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Japan is stacking the summer 2017 deck in terms of highly anticipated adaptations, not only is there the live-action version of Gintama coming with Oguri Shun, there is also the live-action adaptation of classic shonen hit manga Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The arc being adapted is Diamond of Unbreakable and the gorgeous young cast is led by my adorable cutie pie … Continue reading →

More Spot On Character Posters for Highly Anticipated J-movie Adaptation of Popular Manga Gintama

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More character posters are out for the highly anticipated summer Japanese movie live-action adaptation of popular shonen manga Gintama (Silver Soul). The first set of movie posters released last month were of the three main characters – Oguri Shun as the silver haired samurai Sataka Gintoki, Suda Masaki as his colleague Shimura Shinpachi, and Hashimoto Kanna as the red haired … Continue reading →

J-movie Your Name Becomes Insane Runaway Hit in Japan and Asia Box Offices

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A phenomenon has been sweeping Japan and now the rest of Asia since the summer, one that is poised to set new records and break old ones. All of Japan has been enamored of anime movie Your Name since its premiere three months ago in late August 2016. In just three months the movie has become the highest grossing movie … Continue reading →

Attack on Titan Gets 6-episode Special J-dorama Starring Ishihara Satomi

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Attack on Titan is arguably the most popular manga in the world right now, with One Piece aging and Naruto just ended. Those reading along with the manga (me!) can see the story headed towards a final arc, or at least there is a conclusion in the foreseeable future as the final battle looms. There’s no better time to milk … Continue reading →

Popular 90’s Manga Fushigi Yuugi Gets a Live-action Stage Play

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This manga to live-action adaptation feels like it’s fifteen years too late. No, let me amend that to say that it really is fifteen years too late to be adapting a very popular shoujo manga which had its heyday in the 90’s. I’m sure there are still fans who remember it fondly even if the most devout have long since moved … Continue reading →

How Candy Candy Taught Me All About Dramas

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This is a repost of the ridiculously long summary and review of Candy Candy the Japanese manga that I first wrote three years ago when I was watching Friends, Our Legend. There was a lovely little interlude in that drama where the leading lady is discussing with one of the two male leads about the types of men a young … Continue reading →

Pimp that Manga: Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

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Let me start off by saying tsundere heroines are not my typical preference in my mangas. Never have been, never will be. That’s one reason I didn’t like Hana Yori Dango and its ilk. I find the hate-not/hate-like-love progression rather exhausting in a manga medium, whereas I enjoy it at times in dramas because the bickering has the 3D sizzle … Continue reading →

Manga Update: Thoughts on the Ending of Faster than a Kiss

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Drama lovers have no inkling what perseverance and determination a manga lover needs to have to endure an addiction to a long-running serial. It’s thirty plus years now for oldies like Glass no Kamen, and most recently I’ve been reading 7 Seeds and I doubt it will end anytime in the next decade. So it’s always a relief when any live … Continue reading →