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tidusfan01
Reviews
Ao no hono-o (2003)
An amazing film, nothing of what you would expect from the two lead actors
I was really shocked when I saw the film Ao no Honou. Was it because of the plot? No. Because of the subject matter? Not really. The truth was, I was amazed at how well these two pop stars, Nino and Ayaya, could really act. I was expecting, considering the cast consisted of a Hello! Project front girl and a Johnny's Jr. boy, a cute movie about kids in high school. Maybe Kazunari Ninomiya could act a little bit, and maybe Aya Matsuura was thrown in to have a cute face and sing the theme song. Boy was I ever wrong. Ao no Honou dived deep into the psyche of a young man's head, without an obvious voice over theme or very many ways to communicate his thoughts (minus the subtle tape recorder device). It showed what this youth does to protect his family and live his life, but everything he did was natural, from the big, plot-point-esquire actions, to the tiny gestures that Japanese filmmakers are so good at capturing on screen. As the best movies will, Ao no Honou brings you into the movie, and if something shocking, sickening, frightening, depressing, or just tear-worthy happens, you'll feel it. You won't easily forget the face of the talented Ninomiya, either, and don't be surprised if his character's struggles are on your mind for days after watching Ao no Honou.