A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990) [Film Review]

A Chinese Ghost Story II; or, To Hell and Back Again
     Mortals are forgetful. Good deeds fade like the wind. No matter what you've done, it's soon forgotten.
Needless to say, the enormous success of the first film inevitably led to the creation of the sequel. The year 1990 saw the release of A Chinese Ghost Story II. Apart from the return of the principal cast members, such stars as Jackie Cheung, Waise Lee, and Michelle Reis also appeared in the supporting roles.

Release Info

Directed by: Ching Siu-Ting Starring: Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, Wu Ma, Jackie Cheung

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 倩女幽魂 II：人間道 Runtime: 104 min

Synopsis
After successfully freeing the soul of Nip Siu-sin, Ning Choi-san (Leslie Cheung) returns to his home village, but he is mistakenly taken to be a bandit and arrested by the local police. While in prison, he meets a scholar called Elder Chu (Ku Feng) who helps him escape. Due to a concurrence of many events, Choi-san encounters a Taoist monk, Autumn (Jackie Cheung), and a group of rebels led by Windy (Joey Wong). The woman bears a strong resemblance to Nip Siu-sin, so Choi-san thinks that she may be a reincarnation of his dearly beloved. The rebels attempt to free Windy’s father who was sentenced to death by the Emperor. Nevertheless, in the course of their struggle, the heroes have to face a demonic villain known as the High Priest (Lau Shun).

The Ethereal Spirit of a Beauty Returns
A Chinese Ghost Story II can be labelled as a mix between The Naked Gun (1988) and Van Helsing (2004). In order to be more family-friendly, the picture done away with the erotic NSFW sequences from the first film and significantly toned down the gore factor. As a result, the story relies a lot on comic relief (slapstick, characters making false assumptions on one another, etc.) This does not mean; however, that A Chinese Ghost Story II is a bad sequel.

While being noticeably inferior to the first one, it is still an entertaining and action-packed story with many breathtaking scenes (for example, the arrival of the High Priest, possession of Windy, or explosive showdown at the monastery). In addition to this, the special effects are just top notch across the board: from elaborate prosthetics through wire work to visual compositing. What is more important, the character of Ning Choi-san was finally given a happy ending.

As surprising as it may seem, the main theme song of the second picture was pulled from Apple Music and Weibo services in China due to (allegedly) containing vague references in its lyrics to the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Recommendations
If you enjoyed the original film, then A Chinese Ghost Story II will not disappoint you. Check it out for great cinematography and the amazing Leslie Cheung/Joey Wong chemistry. Now, I'm off to A Chinese Ghost Story III.Overall score: 8/10

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April Story (1998) [Film Review]

April Story; or, My Dearest Senpai

     When I made it into university, Moriyama, my home-room teacher congratulated me, saying "It was a miracle." But if it was a miracle, I want to call it a miracle of love.
Encouraged by numerous recommendations from East Asian Cinema Enthusiastic group, I decided to check out more works of the awesome director Shunji Iwai. Needless to say, my journey began with the director’s 1998 feature, under the intriguing title, April Story.

Release Info

Directed by: Shunji Iwai Starring: Takako Matsu, Seiichi Tanabe

Language: Japanese Original Title: 四月物語 Runtime: 67 min

Synopsis
Uzuki Nireno (Takako Matsu) is a typical countryside girl, living on Hokkaido. However, she unexpectedly decides to move to Tokyo and begin her studies there. The family sees her off at the train station and they send in necessary things via a moving company. Strangely enough, Uzuki does not get along well with the stuck-up students from Tokyo. Gradually, Uzuki’s true intentions behind her departure from Hokkaido are revealed: to find her high-school crush, Yamazaki (Seiichi Tanabe).

Pretty with Red Umbrella
I must say that April Story feels very much like a companion piece to my favourite Iwai’s film Love Letter (1995). The tone and nostalgic style are similar and even the school theme is reused to a certain degree. However, April Story handles it very gently. The movie does not provide extensive backstories of the characters but emphasises everyday personal interactions, which we all experience.

One of the MDL users described the film as Notice me, senpai: The Motion Picture in the comments section of the film’s profile page. Indeed, that’s the simplest way of looking at April Story. To me, Iwai’s movie is not so much about a girl stalking her senpai (that would be a great idea for a horror film, by the way) but it’s a story about growing up. The main heroine has to learn how to live independently, become confident, and leave her safety bubble. This resonantes greatly in Uzuki’s interactions with the moving guys, the strange neighbour, and some random scientist.

To be honest, it is worth watching the film just for Shunji Iwai’s amazing cinematography and the loveable performance of Takako Matsu in the leading role (Love Generation for life!). In addition to this, the movie was promoted by a trailer which is a work of art in its own right (see the clip below).

A word about the availability of the film. Similarly to Love Letter, it seems that only a Korean DVD release is the only good option to watch the film with English subtitles. However, HD versions are also available online.

Recommendations
All things considered, If you want to check out a joyful and innocent story about a girl finding her way in life, then I recommend April Story. In the age of movies filled with excessive violence and illogical plotlines, we need more peaceful films like this one.Overall score: 7/10

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Black Magic M-66 (1987) [OVA Review]

Black Magic M-66; or, Do Androids Dream of Electric Granddaughters?

     In all honesty, I don't know if any of this really happened. It's kind of hard to imagine that all these soldiers were fighting against two androids.
Having been fired up by Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 2045, I decided to revisit classic cyberpunk OVAs. Without hesitation, I turned to the visionary himself, Masamune Shirow, and his early creations from the 1980s. My first pick became Black Magic M-66, a 47-minute-long OVA about a military android which went postal. This OVA is based on one of the chapters from Shirow’s first manga series published between 1983 and 1984.

Release Info

Created by: Masamune Shirow Voice actors: Yoshiko Sakakibara, Chisa Yokoyama

Language: Japanese Original Title: ブラックマジック Runtime: 47 min

Synopsis
Due to an accident during an army shipment, two combat androids go haywire and escape their transport pods. As the deadly machines make their way through a forest, Major (Shinji Ogawa) together with his men and the androids’ creator, Professor Matthew (Ichiro Nagai) prepare an ambush. After suffering heavy losses, the army manages to capture and destroy one of the rogue robots. However, the other one is still at large. What is worse, because of the fact that is a Test Programme loaded in its memory, it is determined to track down and execute Matthew’s granddaughter, Ferris (Chisa Yokoyama). A freelance journalist, Sybel (Yoshiko Sakakibara), accidentally learns about the android’s true objective and rushes to save Ferris before it is too late.

Killer in the Shell
To many fans of modern anime out there, Black Magic M-66 may seem to be an outdated and short OVA, but in my opinion, it manages to replicate the thrills and bombastic action sequences from such classic films as The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), and Predator (1987). You can clearly notice that Masamune Shirow and co-director Hiroyuki Kitabuko were seeking inspiration in the most popular sci-fi flicks of that time.

The definite assets of this OVA are the storyline and the pacing. There is virtually no exposition, but you immediately feel at ease in this futuristic world that apparently is at some state of Cold War (the character of Major makes a few passing remarks about “spies from the North"). In addition, it is quite poetic to see a female rushing to save another female from a robotic monster (which sort of looks like a female). Oh, and soldiers are finally the good guys! All of this is sprinkled with flying bullets, beaming lasers, and massive explosions which would make Michael Bay feel envy.

The voice acting is also done extremely well. The main character is voiced by none other than Yoshiko Sakakibara herself (a year before she got into the Patlabor franchise) and it is always a pleasure to hear her deep and sensual voice. I also appreciate the input of Shinji Ogawa, Ichiro Nagai (may their souls rest in peace) and Chisa Yokoyama as well as Kyouko Tonguu in the supporting parts. Great music score composed by Joyo Katayanagi and Kengo Kurozumi should not go unnoticed as well.

Recommendations
If you want to check out Masamune Shirow at the beginning of his career, then give Black Magic M-66 a chance. Nothing beats classic cell animation which to date looks great on a TV screen. It is a shame though that this OVA was not turned into a franchise. I see the potential for a 26-episode series and even a live-action film. In the meantime, we all should watch out for androids who are hellbent on killing innocent grandchildren.Overall score: 8/10

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