Yuu ~ ☆: 2016

Age of Youth is a 2016 south-korean drama of 12 episodes by JTBC.

PLOT: The story revolves around 5 girls, to be more accurate, 5 roommates. Every girl is different, we have Yoon Jin-myung, the a serious and hardworking 28years old college student with more part time jobs than she can count, Kang Yi-na, seemengly a beautiful rich girl who dates around a lot, Song Ji-won, the life of the party, who likes to gossip and tell stories, Jung Ye-eun, the girly-girl of the grup with a fantasy vision of romance and someone who throws a lot of tantrums, and finally Yoo Eun-jae, the last coming, a quiet girl who rarely speaks her mind because of her shyness.

Every girl is different from the others and they each seems to have a dark past or secret, something they don't want the others to know..

(Contains minor spoilers)

The story starts with Yoo Eun-jae coming to 'Belle Epoque', a nice house she'll be sharing with other 4 girls. The start is rough, she is uncomfortable and the other girls don't seem to respect her, almost bullying her, so she often keeps to herself, mumbling. Ye-eun only cares about her boyfriend, sometimes lets Eun-Jae do her chores and eat her food. Jin-myung is almost never home but she leaves notes for Eun-Jae -whom she shares a room with- with an harsh tone and doesn't talk to her at all the other times. Yi-Na doesn't interact much with her, except maybe to scold her on things she did wrong. Ji-Won is not there during that time.

Eun-Jae feels left out and ponders to leave, all the while worrying about some kind of accident in her past that gives her nightmares and makes her zone-out a lot. In college is the same, she can't make friends, just a senior always bother her and Eun-Jae doesn't stand him.

Aften one other s*tty day, she finally has enough at home, as she finds out someone ate all her jam, and they're also all having dinner together without telling her. She snaps, finally letting all of her feelings out.

Eun-Jae snapping: "You could at least be a little kind! Not everyone is used to living here like you guys. For me, it's so hard I could die!"

While Eun-Jae storms out crying, the other girls are left bewildered and guilty. They find Eun-Jae in her bed, talking nonsense with a high fever an they take turns in nursing her.

When Eun-Jae wakes up fever-less, it's sunday and cleaning day, nobody says a bad word to her instead inquiring about her health. They all chat happily and Eun-Jae is hopeful again, at the end they all tell her jokingly to not keep things bottled up until she explodes.

Finally we meet Ji-Won, who's back and set back the happy mood in the house, apologizing to Eun-Jae "This all happened because I wasn't here." Things get weird again when Ji-Won announces that she can see ghosts and one lives in the cabinet under their shoes rack, at the entrance.

The reaction is even weirder, Yi-Na says something like 'So I guess I did kill them then' while Jin-miung mutters there's a person she wish would die. Eun-Jae is shocked by their words but mostly she thinks it's her fault if the ghost is even there.

A little way later we find out several things:

Ye-Eun is dating a douche with an inferiority complex, she does everything and more for him and he just plays along when he feels like it. So she just lies to everyone to keep up appearences.

Yi-Na the badass is actually an escort, yup, not a college student nor a rich girl. She dates old dudes that pay her with credit cards. She's also not sorry for that but she feels lonely. She finds consolation in talking regularly to a (creepy) old guy.

Eun-Jae starts to get along with the senior who was bothering her -hint: he liked her-. But she still doesn't trust him enough to reveal her impeding family troubles/secrets to him.

Jin-miung has serious problems at one of her jobs but she finds unexpected help from one of the staff, who seems interested in her.

As for Ji-won, well, she's single and desperately wants to find someone to love her. She's not really lucky though, her exuberance seems too much to handle.

From there on, things gets better between the girls but their life get more complicated, their secret will come out on in the open one way or another and nothing will be like before. Will the girls preserve their peaceful life? Who is the ghost and who's responsible for him? Also, what are the girls' secrets and why are they so important?

Conclusion: I really really liked this drama a lot. What I really appreciated is that this drama doesn't revolve around a guy, romance or an unfortunate girl that turns her life around after meeting a man -like most k-dramas. Nope, not this one.

It's a story about five girls, their dreams, their life -and yeah a little bit of romance. But romance isn't all, indeed there aren't many happy ending in that regard for them, but it's fine because they have something else. They created a unique bond of friendship, no sisterhood, between them which is really awesome. And you can't really believe it, because they're all so different compared to one another and even though it seems like they have nothing in common, they get through hurdles and laugh and cry together.

My vote. Kidding, lol, I'll give this drama a good 8.

I also loved how different and detailled the characted were from the others, in real situations. About that, there's little to zero sugar-coating: things get bad, really bad, there is no redeeming just moving on with life. Here is another thing this drama teaches you: you can leave your past behind and be happy, build a new life for yourself.

And they do, especially Yi-Na and Ye-eun! They kind of turn their life around, while keeping true to themselves. Also Jin-miung and Eun-Jae find strenght to fight their fears and are a whole lot more confident and happy. *Spoiler in white: Ironically, they are the only ones who find love at end *

Definetely, check this drama out, if you want to see something different about friendship!

Check out the cast here. Below the trailer of the show:

Playlist of the OSTs:
See you with the next review! :p

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It's been a while! Since we're in a new fresh year I figured I would do a 'manga of the year' instead of a month, and indeed I have a couple of manga I've loved this past year! Guess which?

The first is 'GINTAMA' a 2003 manga by Hideaki Sorachi! Gintama has been around for a few years (it has its own anime and movies as well) and is really popular but I just got to read it recently. Of course I got hooked!

PLOT: Edo period, as the world was attacked by aliens (Amanto) samurais tried to defeat them but where betrayed by the shogun, who realized their power and made an unequal deal with them. Subsequently, swords were banned in public and so samurai scattered around doing other jobs. Gintoki Sakata is a poor but eccentric samurai, who lives by doing freelance jobs at the 'Yoruzuya'. While on one of his jobs he encounter teenagers Shinpachi Shimura and alien Kagura, who become his assistants.

My Take: Don't expect a serious manga! At the start it was more like a comedy manga, interesting but really silly, only to switch later to a total shounen. It still has silly side stories and most of the characters make no sense, BUT it is awesome! Also, there are so many characters it's hard to keep a track of them.

The second is 'NORAGAMI', is a 2011 fantasy manga by Adachi Toka! This one also has an anime series, but we'll get to it another time.

PLOT: Noragami, literally 'Stray God', is about an underdog god named Yato. He is said to be the god of War and Calamity but is not very popular and hasn't got a shrine. To have those he needs money, which he collects by doing deeds to people in needs -who pay him 500 yen for whichever job-. While clumsily doing that, he meets Hiyori Iki, an highschool girl who can see him and that, for an accident, is stuck in between human world and afterlife. He may seems like a simple fellow but he has a past nobody seems to know about..

My take: Noragami has a bit of everything: action, fantasy, japanese mythology, romance, friendship and comedy. You can't go wrong with it!

Well then, that's it for this time, I hope you enjoyed this! Until next time :3

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Boruto: Naruto the movie is the 11th movie of Naruto, written and drawn by Masashi Kishimoto -the series creator. It was out in japanese theatres on the 7 August 2015.

So.. I finally got the chance to see this movie and needless to say, I was very disappointed. But let's get to each of the points. Warning: don't read if you haven't watched the movie!

Plot:

Boruto Uzumaki is the son of Naruto, now the 7th Hokage of Konoha village. But Boruto has little regard for his father, who's never home because of his job, and seek 'fast' power to surpass him. He finds it in a new ninja technical device and later ask Sasuke to train him.

Meanwhile the Chunin exams are coming and Boruto's teammates, Sarada and Mitsuki, finally convince Boruto to enter it. But a new threat is coming after Naruto and all the sacread beasts, what will Boruto do?

Review:

To tell you the truth I kind of hated the second part of Naruto's manga, it became uselessly long and made very little sense. I still love the characters and all, since I kind of grew up with them so I was happy when a short sequel was announced.

I really liked the 'Naruto Gaiden: The Seventh Hokage' spin-off, with Sarada (Sakura and Sasuke's daughter) as the main character. It was refreshing having to deal with a new character and not a Naruto-mini me.

Having said that, I kind of looked forward to the movie even though Boruto was to be the 'hero', the trailer also looked good.

Then I saw the actual movie and Boruto looked exactly like he did in the last chapter of the Naruto manga: a spoiled brat.

Manga/movie differences: I see none.

Someone who causes troubles because his dad isn't paying enough attention to him. Because he is busy managing the village, but since he's always in his office seeing him shouldn't be that hard. Ungrateful brat. Then what should Sarada be saying since Sasuke is barely (phisically) there?

But nope, he plan to take revenge (for what?) on his dad by making Sasuke his master. Now.. why in the world should Sasuke teach him? He didn't even teach anything to his own daughter, let's just think about it. Neverthless, he does, maybe because he takes pity on him or he reminds him too much of Naruto (he's his spitting copy after all).

There is nothing to like about him. Other than having all the wrong reasons and being smug about it, he is exactly like Naruto at his age, reckless, lively and not really that smart. His comrades, Sarada and Mitsuki, on the other hand are more mature and complete as ninjas, also really interesting characters. But nope, they're barely seen in the movie and we don't even get to see them in 'real' action, like a group should do.

The other children are barely seen, we just get a glimpse of Shikadai (Shikamaru and Temari's son), Inojin (Ino and Sai's son) and maybe Kankuro's son.

Anyway Boruto wants to 'show' his strenght to his father, to get his attention, and decides to cheat getting a new illegal ninja device from some sketchy dude.

Like Naruto says to Sasuke, Boruto's clothes are brand new as opposite as Naruto's old tattered ones, because he doesn't train nor anything. He just plays and complains.

Sarada and Mitsuki then get Boruto to join in the Chunin exams, which he passes thanks to the device -which Naruto had banned from the event.

Nobody notice it exept Naruto, when Boruto beated Shikadai in the last round, and with the saddest glance ever and shame him in front of everybody like he deserved.

(That's the 'you disappoint me, son' look.)

Then we see also all the parents and old ninjas of the Naruto age: Sakura (who looks like a 19years old, unlike the manga), Temari, Ino, Shikamaru, Lee, Ten Ten, Gaara and Hinata. Kiba is no show (update: Kiba is shown in a still during the chunin exam, for like a second).
Now, I always disliked Hinata and I guess that didn't change, but how can you not say anything to your son when you see him act like that? Not even notice that device even though you are a ninja and above all, you have the byakugan. Wtf?

Not that I'm surprised anyway, let's move on. So, Naruto is sadly looking into his son's eyes telling him that true power comes with effort and hard training, when a new enemy appears wanting to carry on Kaguya's plan.

Just from his face we can say this is the dullest enemy ever and we know all the movie's enemies were very forgettable (Remember good old Orochimaru? That's what a real enemy looks like). Anyway, he tries to get Kurama's out of Naruto and takes him away while Sasuke is the only one trying to do something.

Only when seeing his father in danger, Boruto realize he's been an idiot and follow Sasuke along with the 5 kages to defeat the enemy.

Because Sasuke needs Boruto help. Yep, re-read the previous sentence and laugh with me.

First of all, the Sasuke I/we know wouldn't have helped someone like that and praised him so easily ('You are powerful'...where?What part did I miss???).

Getting back to the story, the five kages lose to the enemy that transform into a monster (of course) and kills his minion.

The only good point? Sasuke and Naruto fighting together, like old times. At least the do for a short while, until Sasuke get his face burned and Naruto gets super angry. Sasuke recovers and together they combine Kurama and Susanoo (like an armored Kurama), beat the enemy and finally kiss. No, I'm sorry I was joking, lol. The enemy is a little beated but still alive and well, thanks to that scientist/sketchy dude who uses his ninja device on him (giving him his powers back someway). While Naruto and all the kages are trapped, Sasuke tells Boruto to cast his rasengan against the enemy.

The enemy gets distracted and everybody is free again, so Boruto releases a new sparkly and giant rasengan (more like a Dragon Ball genkidama) combined with his father's and beats this joke of an enemy.

I guess the end is kind of nice though, peace is restored and Boruto relinks his relationship with his father. At least he doesn't want to become hokage, nope he wants to be like Sasuke (that's cool, I admit it).

That's what the movie was also about, but I think it could have been made better. Like I said, I'm really disappointed in this movie and Boruto. I know it's a movie about him finding the source of true strenght, but were are all the others? Would it have killed Kishimoto to include Sarada, Mitsuki and Naruto's old friends in the story a bit more?

I can't see why someone should like a story about a child who does anything but complain, so that in the end he can realize he didn't value enough what he had. Good moral but really boring.

My vote for the 'Boruto: the Naruto Movie' is 5/10.

Here is one of the official trailers, sub-eng:

So here it is, I still 'like' Naruto but I honestly expected much more. I still hope they'll do another sequel/spin off, with the children as main character and especially Sarada.

Go get the Hokage title girl!

Until the next review and Happy New Year!!!

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Yuu ~ ☆

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