Eden of the East Music Video

This is my second anime music video. I used the brilliant anime Eden of the East.

Let me know what you think or give it a thumbs up on the youtube page! Thanks.

Eden of the East is available at Manga UK

Film4 showing every Studio Ghibli film over easter!

Film4 is one of those rare TV Channels that I still check every single night to see what they are showing. They still show some rare Asian cinema and Anime films which is a real treat on a non-subscription channel.

Taken from the Film4 website:

Tuesday 26th March - Saturday 13th April 2013
Witness the sorcery, discover the magic, embrace the adventure. Prepare to be spellbound by Film4's most complete Studio Ghibli Season yet, starting with the Oscar-winning Spirited Away...
Tune in throughout the Easter holidays for daily screenings of films ranging from Ponyo to Princess Mononoke, from My Neighbour Totoro to Howl's Moving Castle.

Here is a list and time slots

• Tuesday March 26: 'Spirited Away', 6.35pm
• Wednesday March 27: 'Princess Mononoke', 6.05pm
• Thursday March 28: 'The Cat Returns', 11am
• Thursday March 28: 'Porco Rosso', 4.35pm
• Friday March 29: 'Kiki's Delivery Service', 4.45pm
• Saturday March 30: 'My Neighbour Totoro', 5pm
• Sunday March 31: 'Arrietty', 4.45pm
• Monday April 1: 'Grave of the Fireflies', 1.35am
• Monday April 1: 'Howl's Moving Castle', 4.35pm
• Tuesday April 2: 'Pom Poko', 3pm
• Wednesday April 3: 'Castle of Cagliostro', 2.45pm
• Thursday April 4: 'Ocean Waves', 11am
• Thursday April 4: 'Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind', 2.35pm
• Friday April 5: 'Whisper of the Heart', 3.05pm
• Saturday April 6: 'Spirited Away' (repeat), 4.35pm
• Sunday April 7: 'The Cat Returns' (repeat), 5.15pm
• Monday April 8: 'Only Yesterday', 2.20pm
• Tuesday April 9: 'Tales from Earthsea', 2.40pm
• Wednesday April 10: 'Princess Mononoke' (repeat), 2.55pm
• Thursday April 11: 'The Little Norse Prince', 11am
• Thursday April 11: 'Ponyo', 2.55pm
• Friday April 12: 'Howl's Moving Castle' (repeat), 2.40pm
• Saturday April 13: 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky', 2.20pm

No love for My Neighbours The Yamadas? Definitely worth checking out all of these, and it might even have some films that some Ghibli fans haven't seen such as Ocean Waves and Only Yesterday.

Triad Review

Triad (2012)

Director: Daniel Yee Heng Chan
Writers: Chun Yu Kom, Si-Cheun Lee
Stars: Wai-Man Chan, Patrick Tam, Kwok Cheung Tsang, William Chan Wai-Ting, Michelle Wai
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese
Release Date: 15 November 2012 (Hong Kong)

IMDb = 4.3

Looking at the poster for Daniel Chan's new film Triad, you would assume it was a poster for the Young and Dangerous reboot. You would be wrong. However, Triad does borrow heavily from the original Young and Dangerous series. Even more weird, the director of Triad also directed the reboot Young and Dangerous Reloaded.

Triad takes place in the 90s during the hay day of the Hong Kong Triads. Set in the familiar busy neon streets of Hong Kong, the film follows 3 friends from the beginning of joining the Triads and following local boss Patrick(Patrick Tam). William(William Chan), an intelligent bookworm who has a bright future, decides to join the Triads which his 2 best friends Derek(Derek Tsang) and Edward(Edward Chui) are members of, and after the boss Patrick helps out his mother. Soon enough William is working his way up the ranks with his business smarts getting him respect and impressing the higher ups. One moneymaking scheme too far, and he ruins the activities of gang boss Ming (Lam Lei) and his wife Irene(Irene Wan). William also enters a dangerous feud with another up and comer Kin(Deep Ng). Now with trouble brewing between William and his Triad brothers, he must decide how far and how much he is willing to risk to succeed in the Triad world.

William Chan in his Chan Ho-nam type role

William Chan suits his role perfectly as a cool intelligent gangster, the changes he goes through in the film show him going from a timid young student to a high ranking swish gangster. One flaw in the film is the time period covered of 8 years or so is squeezed into a 90 minute film. This makes the story and character development seem a little rushed, and the film comes off a little flat. Sometimes there is just too much going on that you don't have time to digest or absorb what you have seen.

One major positive of Triad was the music! If you enjoyed the soundtrack of Young and Dangerous then you will love it. Largely inspired by Y&D, the songs have the similar sound which is now associated with HK Triad flicks. Some of the slower songs in the film sound like they could have been plucked right out of any of the Young and Dangerous films.

Triad is a very appropriate name for this film as it is very Triad'y. Daniel Chan tells an all too familiar story by basically combining elements from popular Triad flicks such as Election and As Tears Go By. I can't tell if it's a nod to these popular films or if he is cashing in on their success by giving people what they want. And Triad gives you what you want... If what you want is a generic Triad flick. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this film, it was fun. But it was nothing new. Nothing different or challenging. But, if like me, you enjoy any Hong Kong Triad film then you too will enjoy Daniel Chan's "Triad".

Check it out, it's worth a watch, but I do hope Daniel Chan's next film, Young and Dangerous Reloaded is better.

6.5/10

Available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Yesasia

Hentai Kamen trailer - A New Crazy Japanese Film

Every now and then an extremely crazy Japanese film becomes popular worldwide, such as Big Tits Zombie, Robo-geisha or Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl. Well, my bet is on HK Hentai Kamen to be the next one!

The trailer has hit the internet for 'Hentai Kamen', a new Japanese flick directed by Yuichi Fukuda about a Super Hero. Based on ""Kyukyoku!! Hentai Kamen" (Ultimate!! Pervert Mask)" a manga by Keishu Ando. The film follows a high school student who gains super powers by putting a pair of women's panties on his head and taking off his clothes. This transforms him into Hentai Kamen which he uses to fight crime!

Synopsis
Kyosuke Shikijo is a high school student skilled in kenpo but slightly incompetent with girls, to the point that his interaction with them makes him get into painful situations. One day, he saves a girl named Aiko Himeno from bullies, whom he's immediately smitten with. When she is taken hostage as part of a bank robbery by a group of criminals, Kyosuke is forced to take a disguise in order to save her without being recognised by the crooks. But when he accidentally puts a pair of panties over his head instead of a normal mask, he undergoes a transformation: due to the perverted genetics of his mother (an S&M worker), he is able to awaken the full 100% latent potential of his body! Running out with nothing but the panties and a pair of underwear on a near nude body, Kyōsuke, now christening his masked self as Hentai Kamen, uses his power and perversion to defeat the criminals and save Aiko. However, his troubles have only begun...

'HK Hentai Kamen opens across Japan on the 13th April, 2013.