parkergirl

As a fan of both the manga and the anime, I expected to get sorely disappointed with this movie. Surprisingly, I wasn't. Okay, it wasn't perfect (no live action is, I think) but the movie stayed as faithful to the original story as possible and, for me, that matters a lot. The acting was great; Masataka Kubota was just perfect for the role and some people saying he seems way too old is just plain bullshit. Kubota is a far better actor than many Japanese actors I've watched as of late. Granted, the special effects could be better, but the action scenes were executed well and didn't feel awkward for the most part. Overall, I enjoyed it and looking forward to the sequel.

This was the first movie of Shimizu Hiroshi I have watched and it left a good impression on me. The story seemed simple, but the scenes were well-executed. The film offers the viewer the chance to hop on Mr. Thank You's bus and drive through Japan's breath-taking countryside while listening to stories of people from all walks of life. It was very interesting to see how Japan looked like in the 1930s as well, far from how it looks like in modern times. All in all, a simple, lighthearted film that I would want to re-watch from time to time.