Highlights of my 2019 movie & drama watching
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1. Mi wo Tsukushi Ryouricho
Japanese Drama - 2017, 8 episodes
Drama about a young woman who starts a restaurant during Edo period Japan and struggles against various obstacles. The remake of an earlier movie, and remade again into a movie in 2021.
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2. Bread and Soup and Cat Weather
Japanese Drama - 2013, 4 episodes
Gentle slice-of-life drama about a woman who takes over the little cafe left by her deceased mother.
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3. Viața E Complicată
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
One of my all-time favorite dramas. Middle-aged married man in a dead-end life encounters abused and traumatized but unyielding young women. Gradually they heal and redeem each other. Many reviews see this as an age-gap romance, but I reckon it's a symbolic father-daughter relationship. The electronic surveillance that turns to admiration and love is a unique plot device as far as I know.
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4. Like Father, Like Son
Japanese Movie - 2013
Two very different families discover that their middle-primary school aged sons had been accidently swapped at birth. They try to figure out how to resolve this fraught situation.
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5. Shoplifters
Japanese Movie - 2018
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6. The World of Us
Korean Movie - 2016
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7. The Queen's Classroom
Japanese Drama - 2005, 11 episodes
Thought-provoking drama about a final-year primary school class whose teacher's extremely strict yet seemingly random rules appear abusive. Yet somehow the class work through bullying and other typical childhood issues and bond together deeply. The Korean remake is also excellent and both series include excellent child actors as well as the eponymous teacher.
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8. I Wish
Japanese Movie - 2011
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9. 3 Nen A Gumi: Ima kara Mina-san wa, Hitojichi Desu
Japanese Drama - 2019, 10 episodes
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10. Kurara Hokusai no Musume
Japanese Special - 2017, 1 episode
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11. The Hymn of Death
Korean Drama - 2018, 6 episodes
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12. Swing Girls
Japanese Movie - 2004
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13. Saikou no Rikon
Japanese Drama - 2013, 11 episodes
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14. Mr. Sunshine
Korean Drama - 2018, 24 episodes
The plots meanders a bit through much of this serial, but the five main characters are each fascinating and the bromance hilarious. I couldn't stop bingeing this one.
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15. Bunny Drop
Japanese Movie - 2011
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16. Last Friends
Japanese Drama - 2008, 11 episodes
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17. Innocent Witness
Korean Movie - 2019
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18. Kurokouchi
Japanese Drama - 2013, 10 episodes
The eponymous detective's acting and personality are totally over-the-top. Can someone tell me the meaing of the two female forensic scientists who love to kiss the young female detective, who submits in surprise and then just gets on with her job?
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19. Tenno no Ryoriban
Japanese Drama - 2015, 12 episodes
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20. Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou
Japanese Drama - 2013, 11 episodes
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21. Send Me to the Clouds
Chinese Movie - 2019
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22. Intimate Strangers
Korean Movie - 2018
Extremely entertaining movie (because you start imagining if you were involved in an event like this) when a set of old school friends and their wives at a dinner party, on a dare, agree to reveal any and all messages, photos, and calls that come in on their cellphones during the night.
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23. Life on Mars
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
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24. Liar Game
Japanese Drama - 2007, 11 episodes
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25. Anger
Japanese Movie - 2016
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26. Tremble All You Want
Japanese Movie - 2017
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27. The Classic
Korean Movie - 2003
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28. After the Rain
Japanese Movie - 2018
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29. Shino Can't Say Her Own Name
Japanese Movie - 2018
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30. Hibiki
Japanese Movie - 2018
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31. Lazy Hazy Crazy
Hong Kong Movie - 2015
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32. The Nightingale
Chinese Movie - 2013
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33. Angels Wear White
Chinese Movie - 2017
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34. A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities
Taiwanese Drama - 2018, 20 episodes
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35. Starry Starry Night
Taiwanese Movie - 2011
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36. One Smile is Very Alluring
Chinese Movie - 2016
Far superior to the drama series of the same name, because although the story is basically the same, the two main actors and their interactions are less preposterous.
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37. Every Day A Good Day
Japanese Movie - 2018
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38. Woman Who Eats
Japanese Movie - 2018
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39. ReLIFE
Japanese Movie - 2017
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40. Kids on the Slope
Japanese Movie - 2018
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41. Japanese Girls Never Die
Japanese Movie - 2016
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42. Samurai Marathon
Japanese Movie - 2019
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43. The Man From Nowhere
Korean Movie - 2010
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44. From Me to You
Japanese Movie - 2010
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45. Wood Job! The Easy Life in Kamusari
Japanese Movie - 2014
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46. Always: Sunset on Third Street 3
Japanese Movie - 2012
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47. Always: Sunset on Third Street 2
Japanese Movie - 2007
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48. Always: Sunset on Third Street
Japanese Movie - 2005
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49. Go Back Couple
Korean Drama - 2017, 12 episodes
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50. Hana Yori Mo Naho
Japanese Movie - 2006
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51. Cafe Funiculi Funicula
Japanese Movie - 2018
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52. Solomon's Perjury 2: Judgment
Japanese Movie - 2015
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53. Solomon's Perjury 1: Suspicion
Japanese Movie - 2015
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54. Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together
Japanese Movie - 2018
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55. Children of Nobody
Korean Drama - 2018, 32 episodes
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56. Going My Home
Japanese Drama - 2012, 10 episodes
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57. The Harmonium In My Memory
Korean Movie - 1999
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58. Her Story
Korean Movie - 2018
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59. Glass Garden
Korean Movie - 2017
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60. Burning
Korean Movie - 2018
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61. Miss Baek
Korean Movie - 2018
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62. Code Blue: The Movie
Japanese Movie - 2018
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63. Tunnel
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
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64. Beyond The Years
Korean Movie - 2007
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65. Sweet Revenge
Korean Drama - 2017, 22 episodes
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66. Ichi
Japanese Movie - 2008
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67. Survival Family
Japanese Movie - 2017
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68. Kahogo no Kahoko
Japanese Drama - 2017, 10 episodes
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69. Home: The House Imp
Japanese Movie - 2012
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70. BACK STREET GIRLS - Gokudoruzu
Japanese Drama - 2019, 6 episodes
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71. High and Low
Japanese Movie - 1963
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72. A Long Walk
Japanese Movie - 2006
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73. Yume wo Ataeru
Japanese Drama - 2015, 4 episodes
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74. Just Dance
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
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75. Midnight Sun
Japanese Movie - 2006
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76. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
Japanese Movie - 2017
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77. Your Lie in April
Japanese Movie - 2016
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78. The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
Japanese Movie - 2017
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79. The Last Recipe
Japanese Movie - 2017
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80. Cheer☆Dan
Japanese Drama - 2018, 10 episodes
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81. Shiawase no Kiiroi Hankachi
Japanese Movie - 1977
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82. Neko Atsume no Ie
Japanese Movie - 2017
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83. Drifting Flowers
Taiwanese Movie - 2008
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84. What's For Dinner, Mom?
Japanese Movie - 2017