10 Underrated Films That Are Gems
Title: Akko’s Secret
Country: Japan
Year: 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Manga, Romance
Why should you watch this movie?
Akko's Secret is an adorable, quirky movie which stars Ayase Haruka and Okada Masaki in its leading roles. Its general plot is similar to the Hollywood movie 13 Going on 30 – with a twist. Granted, it may not have the best filmography ever, but it is a very light-hearted movie that will leave you in a good mood!
Title: April Fools
Country: Japan
Year: 2015
Genre: Comedy
Why should you watch this movie?
Honestly, this movie is so out of the box, it’s hard to put a label on it. Comedy, however, is one which would fit whichever way you look at it. It has a great re-watch value because of its random tendencies. The movie starts with Ayumi Nitta (Toda Erika) who is extremely shy and afraid of people, and it follows her around her job and shows what happens in a spur of the moment. A tiny ‘accident’ leads to more than people may expect.
Title: Flying Colours
Country: Japan
Year: 2015
Genre: Drama, Life, Youth
Why should you watch this movie?
Not essentially a comedy movie, Flying Colours certainly has enough elements in it that will make you laugh. The movie follows Sayaka Kudo (Arimura Kasumi) as she attends a private institution to help her get into an Elite University. This inspiring tale is supported by her teacher and another somewhat ‘random’ guy which she meets at the institution.
Title: Herb
Country: South Korea
Year: 2007
Genre: Drama
Why should you watch this movie?
Ok, ok, it officially says “Drama”, but Herb has a lot of heart-warming and funny moments that will bring you to tears, whether from sadness or laughter. The main character, Sang Eun, has the intelligence of a 7-year-old and has a knack for folding paper. She lives with her mother but one day she meets someone who she truly believes is her Prince Charming.
Title: The Huntresses
Country: South Korea
Year: 2014
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Historical
Why should you watch this movie?
This is a movie you probably have never heard of, but I just couldn’t let this one pass. The movie takes place in the Joseon era, where three girls are trained in martial arts and are the best bounty hunters of their time. Their eyes on the price, they accept a deal which puts them in several weird situations. (Bonus for seeing Ga In act~)
Title: The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji
Country: Japan
Year: 2014
Genre: Action, Comedy, Manga
Why should you watch this movie?
Honestly, where do I begin with this movie? There is no subtle way to describe Ikuta Toma’s character Reiji but 'idiotic'. He has managed to become a police officer, but how… He is assigned a special job as a ‘mole’ in a gang (Yakuza). The way this movie was produced and the general feeling of it is hilarious and quirky. (There’s also a sequel, called The Mole Song: Hong Kong Crazy Uproar Song!)
Title: Queen of the Night
Country: South Korea
Year: 2013
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Why should you watch this movie?
Although it may not be the least well-known movie, it certainly is worth mentioning. The movie revolves around a couple, Yeong Soo and his wife, Hee Joo. But they are very different from each other, they complement each other. Yeong Soo has no idea how much of a different person Hee Joo might actually be. (Now available on Netflix!)
BONUS!
Title: Hard Nut!
Country: Japan
Year: 2013
Genre: Crime, Investigation, Mystery, Thriller
Episodes: 8 (app. 45 minutes)
Why should you watch this drama?
A crime investigating mystery and thriller isn’t your everyday recipe for a quirky series. But Hard Nut! manages to pull it off in a light-hearted and funny way. Without giving too much away, it revolves around a girl, Kurumi Nanba (Hashimoto Ai), who has a lot of mathematical knowledge but extremely poor social skills. Kurumi accidently gets involved in the justice system and with an officer (you’re getting Kora Kengo to top it all off).
Title: Never Give Up, Dodo
Country: China
Year: 2013
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 10 (app. 20 minutes)
Why should you watch this drama?
This series appears to be your everyday run-of-the-mill RomCom, but it isn’t. It’s different in that there are constant developments around all of the characters. It’s not just the star couple (consisting of Gao Godfrey and Yin Hang), but the supporting actors also contribute greatly.
